Fortified Ecclesiastical sites in Cumbria

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Fortified ecclesiastical buildings in Cumbria

There are an unbelievable number of fortified buildings and sites in the whole of Cumbria, ranging from massive castles, through to more humble pele towers, tower houses and fortified houses, earthwork motte and bailey castles and smaller bastle houses. There is a definite and very visible concentration of these fabulous buildings immediately south of the England\Scotland border, but there are also a large number throughout the Southern reaches of the county. Of interest here though, are the ecclesiastical sites; churches, priories and other religious buildings that also possessed a degree of fortification. Again, there are a decent number of these buildings, including gatehouses (which by their very nature offer some degree of entry control or even fortification.)

Some of these buildings can easily be identified today as fortified ecclesiastical buildings, their form is still obvious….some are mentioned in historical documents as fortified buildings, but have long since been rebuilt, redesigned or renovated to such a degree that they have lost most, if not all of their original medieval design. It is these latter buildings that are the most challenging to identify, as most times there is only someone else’s research to rely on.

Thus far, I’ve visited these sites:

Barton, St Michael (possible)

Ormside, St James

Great Salkeld, St Cuthbert

Penrith, St Andrew

Carlisle Cathedral and St Mary’s Priory

Edenhall, St Cuthbert (possible)

Greystoke, St Andrew (possible)

Melmerby, St John the Baptist (possible)

Ravenstonedale, St Oswald (possible)

Cartmel Priory, gatehouse

There are a few more sites scattered throughout Cumbria (Westmorland and Cumberland) some have been identified as definite fortified ecclesiastical sites, whilst others are noted as ‘possibilities’.

Croglin Low Hall, Nr Croglin

Croglin Low Hall
Nr Croglin
Cumbria

Croglin Hall can be found about three miles South West of the small village of Croglin. The hall is built well off the main road, and is only visible across the open fields from a distance (hence the quality of the photos!!) The remains of what was possibly a pele tower are built into the main part of the building (seen behind the single windowed small outbuilding) The 15th century tower was originally 2 storeys tall, but has been reduced at some point, then rebuilt, and then enveloped within a 16th century hall, which in turn was rebuilt in the 17th century.

The hall has a gatehouse, built sometime in the early 17th century, with early 19th century alternations. The hall and tower house were home to the de Croglin, Dacre and Howard families, and has the dubious claim to fame of being the site of the Croglin Vampire tale.

Newton Reigny earthworks

Earthworks

Newton Reigny

Cumbria

Situated behind the small church of St John in Newton Reigny, these earthworks cover quite a large area, and are still very visible. They are roughly rectangular in shape, and consist of a raised platform, some 2 feet high, that backs onto the church grounds. The remains possibly represent the site of Newton Reigny Manor.

The earthworks are very well preserved, especially as there is a small housing development that borders the West side of the bank.

The church of St John has a church yard that backs onto the earthworks. There is every possibility that they are connected. The church dates from the early 1200's, and of this period, the chancel arch survives. Other parts of the church date from the 13th century.

The earthworks can be viewed from the roads to the North and South. Excavations apparently revealed the remains of building, including a flagged floor. This could have been for housing animals, or could indicate the site of a residence. The de Reigny's, after whom the village is named, were well known for raising men for raiding the Southern borders of Scotland. A map of 1864, shows the earthworks marked as Camp (remains of)

New photos of Round Hill, Kendal

Round Hill

Kendal

Here are some new photos of the 'supposed' motte at Bird's Park Farm. The well pronounced mound can be found just off the Old Sedbergh road. Previous photos of this site were taken of an area incorrectly indicated by pastscape. The site indicated was a very low mound, not really well defined. However, whilst scanning Google Earth a while back, I noticed that this mound lay literally a hundred yards to the East across the other side of the Kendal to Windermere railway line. So...after climbing a few nettle clad walls, and skinning my knees and shins, here are some photos of the mound no doubt identified as a motte by some historical references.

It is highly unlikely that this mound represents anything other than a naturally occurring round hill in a landscape of rolling and undulating glacial deposits. For example, a hundred yards to the South in the grounds of the Castle Green Hotel, there is yet another 'round' hill, standing out in the middle of a walled field. This mound has some mature trees growing from its summit, and for all I know, may be the 'motte' that Pastscape mentions. From discussions with other interested parties, this mound bears none of the traits that a motte and bailey castle should posses. There appear to be no earthworks around the base of the mound, which would indicate filled in ditches or flattened banks, and there doesn't appear to be any area that could once have been a 'bailey'. This site can most likely be discounted as a motte and bailey castle...or even a pre-Norman administrative centre, as Pastscape calls it. The photos are here purely to demonstrate how easy it is to identify any and every mound as a potential motte and bailey castle.

Helsfell Hall, Kendal

Helsfell Hall
Kendal
Cumbria

This has been a site I've been meaning to visit for quite some time. It's only about ten minutes from where I live, so there's really not been any excuse for leaving it this long. There are previous entries on the Castle Blog!! detailing a possibly fortified house....called Helsfell Hall. I think it's safe to assume three things now that this building has been photographed.

1) the building previously named as Helsfell Hall...is not in fact the hall.

2) this building is most definitely Hesfell Hall.

3) there seems to be no evidence that this is a fortified house.

This building is in a simply stunning location. It sits in a field high above Kendal, just off the A5284 to the North West of town. The building can be glimpsed as you drive out toward Windermere....but the blessing here is that there is a public footpath that runs right past it, obviously affording really close examination of the remains.

1st floor three light window....now bricked up.

2nd floor windows, again now bricked up.

Detail of one of the open ground floor windows, showing the thickness of the walls.

Gable end view showing decorative windows (detailed above)

The ground floor window, seen above, appears to be a replacement for a door, which can still faintly be seen, now bricked up, and with a scrap of wooden lintel still embedded in the stonework.

Ground floor details, showing window replacing possible door.

This view clearly shows that a building has been demolished at some point. The roof line can clearly be seen above the small doorway which was probably a later addition. Incidentally, the barn to the right (with the lower roof line) is a later addition to the original hall, as is the huge double door at the top of the ramp...which is also probably a later addition. The following photo shows these details better.

The hall most likely dates from the 16th century...with nothing to more accurately date it. The additions, such as the barn to the rear and the bank leading up the double doors are not listed anywhere so it's been impossible for me to date these parts.

Cornelia Nicholson, in his fantastic book "The Annals of Kendal" makes mention of this hall. He notes that the hall "lays in the shadows of Hesfell Nab" and that "it was once a place of considerable importance." The hall belonged to the Briggs family, who were cousins of the Philipsons, who held Hollin Hall near Crook, which also dates from the 16th century. The Phillipsons were staunchly Royalist, and during the English Civil War, the Briggs family (who were Parliamentarians) frequently clashed. After the war, the Phillipsons stripped their cousins, the Briggs, of all their Kendal possessions, including Helsfell Hall. The hall was emptied of all its furnishings and left derelict. It was only listed (Grade II) in 1984, seemingly after years of confusion over which of the three Hesfell Halls was the original and older. Even though it now has this 'protection' (for what it's worth) the hall is still in danger of complete collapse. Indeed, the two later additions at the far end of the hall have both lost their roofs, as well as portions of the supporting walls. The main body of the hall is also starting to lose part of its roof, although this demise seems to be only in its early stages.

Cornelia Nicholson also noted that there had been some excavations at the hall, and that an undated dig had revealed a two foot bronze cross. From this discovery, he deduced that there had been a small chapel at the hall.

Wreaths Tower, nr Kirkcudbright

Wreath's Tower
Nr Kirkcudbright
Dumfries and Galloway

This fragmentary scrap of a tower can be found about 6 miles to the East of Kirkcudbright, on the A711. The remains can be seen from the main road, but are about a quarter of a mile down a minor road.

As can be seen from the photos, all that remains is a single corner of a four or five storey tower, with two tiny slit like windows, and what could be the destroyed arch of a door. The rest of the tower is gone, demolished and or quarried away over the years.

The tower is certainly in a perilous state, and doesn't appear to have had any consolidation work done on it.
It's thought that it was built sometime during the 16th century, and is said to have belonged to the Scottish Regent, James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton. James Douglas was one of four regents who oversaw Scotland during the early years of James VI's rule. He was famous for introducing the Maiden to Scotland...a Scottish version of the Guillotine. Ironically, he was executed using the maiden in 1581.

The remains of this sorry tower can be seen freely at the road side.

The Toll Booth, Kirkcudbright

The Toll Booth
Kirkcudbright
Dumfries and Galloway

The Toll Booth can be found on the corner of High Street in Kirkcudbright. At first glance, the building looks like a church, with its three storey main building and clock tower. However, built in 1625, the building has been a toll booth for collection of local taxes, a prison, and today, an art gallery.

Why has it been included on this blog? Well...to a degree this was a lightly defended building. The photo below shows three gun loops that can be seen on the North face of the building. These may have been inserted into the front wall when the building was used as a prison, possibly to provide a small degree of protection against prison breaks. Notable prisoners included John Paul Jones, a local Scotsman who joined the first United States navy and was held as a traitor here, Covenanters during the 1680's, and locals accused of witch craft.

The last period of building took place sometime around 1751. With walls some 4 feet thick, this represents a fairly safe building in which to imprison local miscreants. The building seen today, replaces an earlier building. This is described in historical records as "recently demolished in 1570"

The steps and the balcony at the foot of the tower, house a market cross, a well or a drinking fountain, and some 'jougs'.....iron neck collars used to keep offenders from escaping....a form of stocks where the local population could relieve a little anger at their misdeeds.

The following link will provide some additional information on the Toll Booth in its present incarnation as an art gallery.

http://www.kirkcudbright.co.uk/oldhighst/tolbooth.htm

Orchardton Tower, nr Palnackie

Orchardton Tower
nr Palnackie
Dumfries and Galloway

The beautiful and well preserved tower can be found just off the A711 about seven miles East of Kirkcudbright, and about a mile and a half South of the small village of Palnackie. The tower sits on a gentle slope that leads to Orchardton burn which runs a hundred yards or so away.

The tower is unique in Scotland, in that it is round. All other tower houses, hall houses and small castles are square or oblong. The almost perfect condition of this tower also makes it something special. Not only are the outer walls intact, all the windows and their surrounds are present, the interior staircase leading to all floors is intact and usable, and there is a small portion of the wall walk at the very top that can be accessed. The only items missing are the timber floors and the roof. There are even the remains of storage and external buildings, including a vaulted storage cellar.

Originally the tower would have had a curtain wall surrounding the small courtyard area, but this has been reduced to ground level in most areas....although there are a few parts that are above ground but turf covered.

Climbing the narrow spiral stair case, brings you right to the top of the tower.

Here there is a tiny gabled cap-house, which brings you out onto the wall walk. This would originally have given you access to the whole circumference of the tower....however only a small portion is now walkable. The views from the top are stunning.

The walls are around 9 feet thick, especially at the base, although they look a little narrower the higher you go! The entrance is via a stone staircase, although it's unlikely that this is original. Entry, when the tower was being used, may have been up a set of wooden steps that would most likely have been collapsible.

The tower was probably built sometime after 1546, when John Cairns retired to the area. In 1555, as the result of the end of the Cairns family line, the tower and the lands were transferred to the Crown, until it could be agreed who should inherit the estate. It wasn't until 1615 that the estates were finally released from Crown care, and into the hands of Sir Robert Maxwell, the 1st Baronet of Orchardton. The Maxwell association with the tower continued for 150 years, until the 7th Baronet of Orchardton moved to a newly built mansion nearby. The building of the new mansion unfortunately bankrupted the Baronet, and he sold the estates, including the tower to James Douglas from Liverpool in 1785.

Now in the care of Historic Scotland, the tower and it's buildings are freely accessible.

Moat Brae, Kirkcudbright

Moat Brae
Kikcudbright
Dumfries and Galloway

The tiny church of Greyfriars sits almost in the centre of Kirkcudbright, and only a few yards away from MacLellan's castle. The church and its graveyard sit on top of a motte that on the East side still stands to around 15 feet in height. The West side is now at street level.

It is believed that the Lords Galloway had one of their first castles here, a small motte and bailey fortification....sometime in the 12th century.

Historical documents indicate that the original motte and perhaps its attendant bailey, would have extended North, underneath MacLellan's castle.

Meikle Yett, Kirkcudbright

Meickle Yett
Kirkcudbright
Dumfries and Galloway

The town defences in Kirkcudbright (castles aside) consisted of walls, ditches and earth ramparts. These basic structures were built prior to the 1540's as defences against attacks by the English. The defences utilised natural marshes on the South West, South and East of the town.....areas now occupied by St Mary's street and St Cuthbert's street, and were re-inforced by a wall that ran to the East of the church, roughly following High Street to the site of the Meickle Yett. The Yett was the main entrance into the town, and its original position can be traced today by the survival of two marks in the road, half way up High Street. The yett was rebuilt in 1590...possibly as a more defensible structure.

The yett was removed from this spot around 1780, and rebuilt in the church yard.

Up until the 1850's, parts of the defensive ditches were still visible, but these seem to have long since been removed or have simply eroded over time.

The decorative face carved into the key-stone of the arch is visible from the street. I'm not sure if this is of the same age as the yett though.

Maurholme, nr Borwick

Maurholme\Morhull or Mirhull Castle
Pine Lake
Nr Borwick
Lancashire

This is a departure from my normal posts....as there hasn't been a castle here now for several hundred years. The site is sandwiched between the M6 motorway and the A6, about a mile West of Borwick, and two miles to the East of Warton. The site now lays beneath the small lakes that go to make up the Pine Lake holiday resort.

It's likely that this site represents the position of the castle, manor or park of Maurholme. Excavations done in 1975, found that much of the site had been quarried away, and all that was found was some medieval pottery dated somewhere between the 12th and 14th centuries, and jewellery. Confidence seems pretty high that at the very least, a motte and bailey castle existed on this site.

Also associated with this site, and probably linked with the castle, are the alleged remains of a basin or a dock, possibly for ship\boat building. As with other sites of this nature, as and when more information comes to light, it will be posted here.

Carsluith Castle, nr Creetown

Carsluith Castle
Nr Creetown
Dumfries and Galloway

This Scottish tower house can be found on the A75 about 2 miles South of Creetown, and about 3 miles West of Gatehouse of Fleet. The remains are simply stunning, well preserved, and although on private property, are accessible to the public, sitting as they do in the grounds of a small tea room.

Initially, as you’re speeding past the castle it look complete and possibly inhabited. However, on closer inspection, this initial assumption only pays tribute to the work done to consolidate the remains and present them in their current condition.

The original portion of this small castle, was probably built in the 1420’s as a simple oblong shaped tower. Later additions turned it into an L shaped tower house, with light defences, ie; no ground floor windows, a number of small gun ports, walls of 3 or 3 and a half feet thickness and a single doorway. The stair tower, that projects out of the front of the tower, was added in 1568. This date is indicated on a date carved above the doorway, along with the coat of arms of the builders…the Brouns. At the same time that the stair tower was added, battlements were probably removed from the north and south walls, and the addition of a wooden gallery that projected above the front of the tower. The stone corbels that would have supported the roof can still be seen, along with the narrow doorway at second floor height that would have provided access to this area.

The ground floor is occupied by storage cellars with vaulted ceilings and a number of gun ports. There are tiny windows above the gun ports…probably added at a later ‘safer’ date to provide additional lighting to these otherwise dark rooms.

Storage cellar with gun port beneath the window.

The first floor, second floor and third floor (top floor) would have provided accommodation for both the family and servants and visitors.

First floor showing chamber window and latrine closets to the right.

The gable walls still stand to their full height, with the chimney stacks complete. The only missing structural item, as with nearly all these tower houses, are the timbers forming both floors and roofs.

Carsluith was built by the Cairns family. The castle and its attendant lands were passed down through the family as follows:

:Alexander de Cairns in 1422, presented the castle to John Cairns his nephew.

:The castle was part of a dowry in 1506, and passed to Elizabeth Lindsay when John married Margaret Cairns.

:The castle passed into the Broun family, when Elizabeth Lindsay married Richard Broun.

:In 1748 the estates, including the castle are sold by James Broun to Alexander Johnston.

:In 1913, the castle finally found itself in state care.

Kenmure Castle, New Galloway

Kenmure Castle
New Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway

Kenmure castle is hidden away on the Western shores of Loch Ken, right at the Northern tip of the long loch, and about a mile and a half South of New Galloway. From the A713, as it follows the Eastern shores of the loch, the castle can be glimpsed above the tree line just before you reach the road that takes you across the top of the loch and West towards New Galloway. The South bound A762 then leads you back down the Western shores of the loch. The castle is hidden on your right, about a mile and a half outside New Galloway. The reason, I assume, that there are no signs or information boards for this castle, is that the site isn’t owned by Historic Scotland….which is a shame really, as this castle is a pretty huge building, and is set amongst what would once have been fantastic gardens.

The castle is freely accessible, and can be safely viewed from the outside. From the outside only though, as it’s in a pretty poor state of repair. It is without its roof, and many internal floors and walls have either collapsed, or look as if they are about to. The path to the castle is on the left hand side of the road, and climbing the stile takes you up what would once presumably have been the main driveway to the castle, with an avenue of trees still surviving. An open grassy area to the right looks as if it may once have been a lawned area, with the ruins of a building protruding from a earth bank to the right, possibly the remains of an ice house. The castle can be seen through the trees that line the bottom of the 100 foot hill that it sits on. The main driveway winds up the outside of, what to all intents and purposes, is a huge motte. Once at the top, the full extent of the building can be seen. In essence the castle is an L shaped building, incorporating masonry from a 16th century tower house. Most of the masonry is from a 17th century rebuild (at the earliest) with a large amount of additions dating from the 1800’s and 1900’s. The poor state of the castle can be seen by simply glancing in through the windows. The interior floors are piled high with roof rubble, timbers, plaster, brick work and general rubbish. The building has been abandoned since the late 1950’s or 60’s, and the lack of maintenance since then is obvious. It is believed that the 19th century re-modelling of the castle, essentially removed or masked much of the 16th century building.
The courtyard is possibly the most interesting area to examine. From here, you can see spiral staircases through the windows, vaulted ground floor rooms, and two Gordon coats of arms mounted above external doors, and still recognisable to this day, despite some weather wear.

The castle occupies the top of the flat rocky outcrop, and overlooks the loch to the East. Legend has it that the ancient Lords of Galloway had fortress here, but no traces of any earlier structures have been found. Legend also has it that John Balliol was born here in 1249. The castle belonged to the Gordons from the late 1290’s, and was amongst huge swathes of land in the area that was under their control. The castle was twice attacked and seriously damaged.
The first time in 1568, after the defeat of Mary Queen of Scots. The Gordons supported Mary’s causes, and suffered at the hands of her enemies when she was defeated.
The second time by Oliver Cromwell’s troops in 1650. The Gordon’s backed Charles I and again suffered when he was finally defeated.

The castle was renovated and turned into a palatial mansion, possibly in the early 1890’s and was again renovated and somewhat rebuilt as a hotel.

Follow the links below for images on other web sites.

http://www.artistsfootsteps.co.uk/art_work_large.asp?ID=517
This painting is by James Faed, and is housed Broughton House gallery in Kirkcudbright.

http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.newcandig_p_coll_details?p_arcnumlink=923568
This drawing shows the castle as it appeared in 1790.

http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/scotland_screenres_800/976946.jpg
This photograph shows the castle as it appeared in 1927.

Greenhalgh Castle, Garstang

Greenhalgh Castle
Garstang
Lancashire


The castle lays just off the B6430 South of Garstang in Lancashire. Although on private property, the castle can be viewed from the footpath that runs along the unclassified road that runs past the remains. There are a couple of gateways that afford good views of the scant remains. Like Kirkoswald in Cumbria, this site consists of a single tower, with some scattered masonry poking through the thick undergrowth.
Primarily, today all that can be seen, is the North West facing wall of a corner tower some seven and a half metres square. It’s likely that this tower was set diagonally to the walls it was attached to…just as at Dacre. Each corner of this tower, and perhaps the others, had small windows set in the angle of the wall, and this seems to have contributed in no small way to the collapse of the towers. The surviving portions stands to a maximum height of around 20 feet with masonry remains scattered all around the base. The castle is said to have had a wet moat, although there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of this feature now. All that can be seen, is the mound upon which the remains now sit.
The castle’s owners, the Stanleys, were granted a license to crenellate in 1490, most likely meaning that they were granted permission to rebuild and remodel the manor house that already stood on this site, rather than building a castle from scratch. The castle was demolished in 1645, when Parliamentarian forces finally took it after a long siege. It is said that the siege lasted 2 years, and the castle was only surrendered upon condition that the garrison were given safe conduct to leave for home.
The castle continues to deteriorate, and with the combination of burrowing rabbits, the weather and encroaching vegetation, will probably continue to do so for years to come.

Castle Hill, Dolphinholme

Castle Hill
Dolphinholme
Lancashire

The small Lancashire village of Dolphinholme lays around 2 and a half miles East of Galgate, just off the M6 and junction 33. The motte and bailey castle remains can be found on a high cliff overlooking the River Wyre.
Sadly all that remains today, are a slight earthwork in the garden of the nearby house, measuring some one and a half metres in height, and a huge quarried hole where it’s likely that the bailey once sat.

There are reportedly stone footings on the summit of this tiny motte, perhaps indicating the remains of a stone tower, or the remains of a quarryman’s hut. These were not seen on my visit.
The site is somewhat obscured by both the trees and the house, so the two photos here are indicative of the context in which this site is situated. The trees probably represent the site of the bailey…the motte is hidden behind them.

Although the remains are not easily seen, a foot path runs some way alongside the remains….affording tantalising peeks at the earthworks.

Castledykes, Kirkcudbright

Castle Dykes
Kirkcudbright
Dumfries and Galloway

Castle Dykes represents the remains of yet another fortification that can be found in the small South Western Scottish town of Kirkcudbright. The remains further testify to the importance of this small fishing town on the Eastern banks of the River Dee. The remains can be found to the West of the town, on the river banks and near to the swimming pool. Indeed, from Castle Bank, in the centre of town, there is a walk called Castle Dykes Walk, which takes you past the marina and right to the earthworks by the river.

Floor plan of the castle

Consisting of a network of ditches, banks and flat areas, it’s difficult these days to see how the castle was laid out. A handy information board is present at the site, revealing the floor plan of the castle and a brief history. It seems that the castle consisted of five circular towers, linked together by a thick curtain wall. Surrounding the castle was a huge moat, water filled and fed by the rising and falling tides of the River Dee which will have run much closer to the remains than today. The gatehouse was triple towered. Two round gatehouse towers provided protection for the main entrance into the confines of the castle. A third round tower provided landward protection. There was obviously no need for another tower the other side of the gatehouse as this wall was protected by the sea. To the rear of the castle there were another two towers. The landward tower was curiously larger than its seaward neighbour. The earthworks generally consist of a huge mound in the centre of the site, some 200 feet by 90 feet in size, very uneven and turf covered (there is no masonry above ground) with a surrounding network of ditches which are as deep as 20 to 30 feet in places. The external bank, beyond the ditch varies in height from 10 to 20 feet high.

The castle can be reliably dated to the period of English occupation, from 1288 to 1312. This makes it an Edwardian castle, no doubt used by the English king to assert control for this short period of occupation.

Excavations in 1911, 1912 and 1913, revealed buried footings of walls and buildings, and curtain walls nearly 10 feet thick. These walls enclosed an area some 100 by 60 feet, and were defended by the five towers mentioned above. Unfortunately for us, the castle remains have been seriously quarried over the years, hence the lack of any masonry and the general state of the site.

The castle is first mentioned in 1288, when John Comyn of Buchan was appointed custodian of the fortification. The castle at Kirkcudbright formed a trio of major castles, called collectively “the three Castles of Galloway and Nithsdale.” Such a major fortification was this castle, that it was far grander and far bigger than the mighty triangular Caerlaverock castle. It is thought that Edward I intended to use the castle at Kirkcudbright as a staging post for his forays into Scotland, as during 1300, the English king brought this fleet up the River Dee and made the castle his base from the 19th to the 31st of July. The King then moved onto targets in the East of Scotland, leaving his young son, Edward (soon to be Edward II) in charge. After Edward I’s death at Burgh-by-Sands in 1307, the castle seems to have fallen out of favour, especially upon the withdrawal of English forces in 1308. Many sources state that the castle was already in a severe state of disrepair by 1335.

In 1557, Sir Thomas McClellan acquired the now much ruined castle, and, we are told, used much of the remaining masonry to build the castle in the centre of Kirkcudbright.

The photos clearly show that there really isn’t much left on site now, and this is probably one of those sites best visited in Winter when there is less greenery around. All in all, a great site to visit, but making sure that you’ve read something about the castle in the first place.

Cardoness Castle, Gatehouse of Fleet

Cardoness Castle
Gatehouse of Fleet

Dumfries and Galloway

The first thing to be said about Cardoness Castle is a warning!!! If you visit during the early Summer months…..beware the swallows!!! These little blighters will have you in any way they can. The adults will dive bomb you, and the babies, as they’re finding their wings…..will accidentally fly into you….especially dangerous when climbing the narrow staircases. Having said that, the castle is well worth a visit, with much of it still standing and totally accessible. The shop is well stocked with great books on the area and its castles, and the staff were extremely helpful and able to answer any questions I had.

The castle can be found at the junction of the A75 and the B796 to Gatehouse of Fleet. The area was obviously of some importance, as there are two mottes in the area. One is about a mile and a half to the East, and the second about a quarter of a mile to the West. The latter is possibly the precursor to Cardoness castle. Another castle, about a mile away, lies to the West high up on the cliff face looking over the road. It’s probable that these fortifications were erected in this area as a means of protecting the inlet, Skyreburn Bay. This waterway would originally have extended right up to the foot of the mound on which Cardoness Castle is built. These days however, the sea is about 200 yards away due to some land reclamation that has taken place.

The castle sits high up on a rocky outcrop, some way above the car park. It’s in remarkably good condition when you consider it was probably built sometime in the 1460’s. All that seems to be missing from it these days appears to be the roof and it’s timbers. Otherwise, the stonework is excellently preserved. Walking up the castle, after passing through the shop, there are a number of external buildings, and the footings of other now demolished buildings. These represent a range of porter’s buildings, storage cellars and stables. These buildings were reconstructed in the 1920’s, with this work intending to give the visitor an idea of what the castle’s courtyard would have looked like.

The stone ramp leading to the door was built at a much later date….it’s likely that entrance to the tower would have been up a wooden staircase….one that could be easily dismantled in the event of an attack. The doorway is defended in triplicate. The first door would have been a strong wooden door with metal re-enforcement. The second door would have been a yet, and the third defence was the murder hole in the ceiling above the entrance lobby, where defenders could drop or pour things on any attackers who had managed to breach the doors.

The ground floor is dedicated to storage. Where now is one room, would once have been divided by a stone cross wall, splitting it into two storage areas. The stone corbels jutting out of the wall would have provided a platform for wooden floor joists, thereby further adding more storage space above. To the rear of the vaulted cellar, small gun ports can still be seen.
The staircase leading to the other floors, now all floorless, is narrow and dark, and there are corridors leading off in all directions. There is a tiny prison cell, and beneath a floor grate, another even tinier and probably grimmer, cell. Historic Scotland have inserted a floor into the second storey of the castle, giving you the opportunity to wander around this huge room with its fireplaces and windows still in situ. The wall walk at the top of the castle is accessible, and affords some fantastic views out across Fleet Bay and on towards Wigtown Bay. The motte and bailey castle can even be seen on the grassland to the South West of the castle.

The McCulloch family built Cardoness castle after they acquired lands in the area in the 15th century, although there is a question over which McCulloch actually built the castle…Gilbert, or his son James. The McCullochs were almost continually in dispute with neighbouring families…..one of which was the Gordon family….who would play a bigger part in the story of Cardoness Castle in the future.

The McCulloch family’s constant feuding cost them their fortune, and by the end of the 1590’s, they were seriously in debt. In 1628, John Gordon bailed the McCullochs out of debt, when the castle was mortgaged to the Gordons. However….the change of ownership seems to have passed the McCullochs by, and some 35 years later, they were back ensconced in Cardoness castle again. The Gordon family used Bush ‘o Bield, an ancient family home, as their base, and may not even have moved into the castle. The McCullochs and the Gordons continued to fight amongst themselves, with the castle more often than not, the centre of these arguments. Godfrey McCulloch was executed for his misdeeds against the Gordons, including a number of murders….and with the demise of Godfrey, the McCulloch family seemed to have abandoned the castle. The Gordons didn’t move back in either, and the castle began to fall into a serious state of disrepair. Lady Maxwell placed the castle in state care in 1927, and it seems that things have only got better since then.

Bruce's Stone, Dumfries and Galloway

Bruce's Stone

Glen Trool

Dumfries and Galloway

This lonesome stone can be found just off the A712 about 8 miles North West of New Galloway, and on the shores of Clatteringshaws Loch. The huge stone and its smaller partner, sit on the shores of the loch with magnificent views out towards the Low Craignell, Cairngarroch and the Rig of Clenrie. These mountains provide a stunning backdrop to the forested shores of the loch, and on a clear day must be brilliantly green, red and purple with the heather and bracken cloaking the mountain sides.

The stone is said to represent the spot that Robert the Bruce rested after defeating the English in 1307. The actual battle ground lays across the loch, and is now submerged beneath the water of the damned loch. The battle of Glen Trool, was one of a number of defeats that Bruce dealt out to the English on his way to slaughtering the English garrison at Aberdeen, and to controlling all of Scotland North of the River Tay in 1309.

The stone is set off the road, about a ten minute walk from the secluded car park. The path leads you through quite a marshy area, but luckily the path has been well prepared and is walkable even in the wet.

Borwick Hall, Cumbria

Borwick Hall
Borwick
Lancashire

Borwick Hall lays in the small Lancashire village of Borwick just off the A6070, about two and a half miles South of Burton in Kendal.

The hall consists of a house dating mainly from the 16th century, with a 14th century pele tower at the core of the collection of buildings. The pele tower is very similar in size and form to that at the core of Sizergh Castle a few miles down the road. The tower measures in the region of 11 metres by 8 and a half, and has walls some 1.8 metres thick. There is also a beautiful gatehouse to the South of the hall, which dates from 1650.

Certain additions to the hall in 1595, were undertaken by Christopher Bindloss, a Kendal cloth merchant. writing in his book “The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Thomas Wilson, D.D.” the hall is described thus “it appears at present (1823) as a large decayed hall-house of the time of Charles I, but with a strong border tower at the South end.” It is reputed, as with many towers and old hall houses in this area, that Borwick Hall has a secret Priest Hole….hidden behind the wall in one of the first floor bedrooms. The book quoted above, goes onto to say that Charles II spent some time at the hall in August 1651, before the battle of Worcester, although I can find no further verification of this. It was after his defeat at this final battle against Cromwell’s army that he fled to France.

Today the hall is owned by Lancashire County Council, and offers conferencing facilities, outward bound courses and management training courses.

The hall can be viewed from the road, especially from the village square….which incidentally, still shows the footings of a building, reputedly that of a chapel now long since demolished or collapsed.

Townhead Bastle, Newbiggin

Townhead Bastle
Newbiggin
Cumbria

Hurrah!!!! I've finally bagged my first bastle house. This delightful bastle can be found in a small village called Newbiggin, about 6 miles North of Kirkoswald, and about a mile and a half up the B6413 from Croglin.

Bastle houses can be found in fairly high numbers throughout Cumbria ...as far south as Newbiggin, Croglin and nearby Glassonby....but possibly with some in the fortified villages even further south, such as Temple Sowerby, Milburn and Askham. In the latter villages, these buildings may just have been robust houses with thick walls with the capability of safely housing livestock...stronghouses in other words.

Bastles were often built as part of a group, so that threatened tenant farmers could provide mutual support in the event of a raid or attack. Newbiggin proves this point beyond a doubt, as this group of buildings are no more than around 100 yards apart, with the exception of Townhead Bastle....built by the Grahams, which is at the end of the valley about a quarter of a mile away. Bastles performed two functions...that of barmkyn and of dwelling. The barmkyn was always on the ground floor, and used to corral livestock, and the dwelling, usually one large room, always on the first floor. These buildings were nearly always of two storeys, with thick walls constructed of mortared stone, quite often with no windows at ground level (for obvious reasons) small windows at the first floor level, and lacking battlements of any description. There are a few bastles with gun loops, but these are very rare. They were built from the mid to late 1500's right through to the late mid 1600's, and only a few have survived in as good condition as this one in Newbiggin.

This photo shows the Townhead Bastle, probably home to the Grahams during the 1600's. This bastle is larger than many of its neighbours....indeed the Grahams were a particularly active family in the West March during the reiver years. Originally a Scottish family, the Grahams soon preferred to see themselves as a English, although their allegiances switched according to their whims. During the 1550's, the Grahams were thought to have been the most prolific of border reivers, with around 500 men, and over a dozen towers and fortified residences to their name.

There are bastles at Glassonby, only a few miles from Newbiggin, and some other great examples of this type of fortification in other nearby locations. More photos will be added as they are visited.