Furness Abbey gatehouse and precinct wall, Barrow in Furness

Furness Abbey gatehouse and precinct wall
Barrow in Furness
Cumbria

The remains of this gatehouse to Furness Abbey can be found to the South West of the abbey remains, and consists of two upstanding portions of a building either side of the narrow road, and a low wall running to the North West and the South East. This would not have been the main entrance into the abbey precincts, but a lesser gateway. The main entrance was to the North of the abbey and is not shown here.

Above. Looking North East through the remains of the gatehouse.

The gatehouse appears to have consisted of a simple building through which traffic would have passed, impeded by doors at each end of the thirty foot building (as evidenced by jambs on the external and internal walls) There doesn't appear to be any evidence for rooms built into this gatehouse....it looks as though it was a simple postern type structure, providing another way in and out of the abbey precincts.

Above. Looking South West through the gatehouse. The precinct wall can be seen running to the left of the photo.

As shown in the image above, the precinct wall still survives to a height of around five feet on the left of the photo, as it disappears up the hill.

Above. The precinct wall can just be seen emerging from behind and above the gatehouse wall.

The precinct wall shown below, survives to a height of around four feet immediately behind the house, but as it continues into the dip to the left of the photo, it drops to around three feet and is not in particularly good condition.

Above. The precinct wall, both repaired\rebuilt and possibly original running to the North West.

In the image below, two distinct phases of building can be seen in the wall. A newer, rebuilt wall runs from the right of the photo, from the gatehouse wall, behind the house and to about half way across the photo....then an older portion of wall can be seen. This continues out of shot to the let, and quite possible represents all that is left of the original wall.

Above. Another view of the precinct wall running from the North West side of the gatehouse.

Above. The precinct wall can be seen running over the brow of the hill.

The wall in the above photo, is in such poor condition in places that it appears to have vanished in a few places and has been replaced by fencing. The best view of the walls are from the gatehouse to the South West of the abbey, whilst the gatehouse can be viewed from the road down towards the abbey car park.

Cartmel Priory Precinct Wall, Cartmel

Cartmel Priory Precinct Wall
Cartmel
Cumbria

Very little remains of the wall that once surrounded the precincts of Cartmel Priory...it was mostly destroyed after the dissolution of the monasteries in the mid 1500's. The only secular building remaining is the gatehouse, and possibly some small portions of the walls, running to the North West and North of the town of Cartmel.

Above. A view of the gatehouse from the South.

The 14th century gatehouse marks the Southern boundary of the Priory precincts, the walls of which would once have encircled an area of around twenty two acres of land.

Above. Looking North up Greenbank Lane.

The wall on the right of this photo is built on the line of the precinct wall. It's possible that much of the material in this wall is from the original 14th century wall, although it's been much rebuilt and reduced in height.

Above. A view of the wall looking South down Greenbank Lane.

Here the wall turns East, following the line of the original precinct wall. The wall is around fifteen feet high, and continues into the field to the left.

Above. Looking from the field onto Greenbank Lane.

In the above photo, two distinct phases of building can be seen. The wall nearest the road, and darker in colour is most likely of more recent build. The wall to the left of the photo, and lighter in colour, may well represent some of the surviving portion of the original 14th century wall. Here the stones are larger and lacking mortar.

Above. A view of the wall as it disappears into the field running East off Greenbank Lane.

In the above photo, the two phases of building can again be seen. The wall continues into the field, but at a much reduced height.

Above. Another view of the wall running East into the field.

Here the wall stands to around four feet high, and is in a much poorer state of repair. It's possible that this portion of the wall represents the last standing parts of the original 14th century precinct walls.

Aldingham Grange, Aldingham

Aldingham Grange
Aldingham
Cumbria

Some much better photos, in my opinion, of the moated manor of Aldingham Grange. The new footpath leading right down to the side of the moat mean that much better views can now be had of the remains.

Above. A good wide angle view of the moat and the central earthwork from the South.

Above. A view of the West side of the moat from the roadside, with the motte visible in the background.

Above. Another view of the moat from the roadside.

Aldingham Moat Hill , Aldingham

Moat Hill
Aldingham
Cumbria

I managed to find a dry day to take some more photos of the motte and bailey castle at Aldingham, and the nearby moated manor. The photos are, in my own humble opinion, the best I've taken of this site, and were aided by the new access that the land owner seems to have provided. The footpath that runs East from the A5087 is unchanged, but once onto the coastal path, and walking North towards the castle earthworks, the narrow path is marked on either side by an electric fence. Where it meets the motte, the path then continues down the hill towards the moated manor, giving good access and views of the water filled moat.

Above. The motte can be seen to the right of the deep ditch that survives to a depth of about four feet, running West to East for about a hundred yards.

Above. Another view of the deep, straight ditch to the North of the motte.

Above. A closer view of the North face of the motte, with the ditch visible to the left.

Above. A view of the Southern face of the motte from the newly created footpath.

Above. A view of the motte taken from the roadside about a quarter of a mile to the North. The moated manor can just be seen in the bottom left corner of the photo.

Above. A view of the motte from the roadside.

There is very little parking at the roadside, and I'm not so sure that residents are keen for visitors to use what little is available. If you don't want to walk the mile or so to the castle, it can be viewed over the hedges from the roadside.

Above. Old map of the motte, its bailey and the grange to the North.

Both the motte and the grange were held by the Fleming family as part of the Honour of Lancaster up until 1227, after which it passed into the hands of the Abbot of Furness. The De Harrington family were granted the rights to empark in 1341, possibly creating a dear park for hunting. This may have also included the estates of nearby Gleaston Castle.

Check this link, Aldingham Motte find report, for a great run down of finds excavated from the motte and the surrounding area.

Dallam Tower, Dallam Nr Kendal

Dallam Tower
Dallam Near Kendal
Cumbria

Dallam Tower and its parks can be found about a half a mile to the West of Milnthorpe and the A6. The parks surrounding the hall boast an impressive herd of semi-wild deer, miles of walks, and the remains of a possible motte and bailey castle overlooking Milnthorpe.

Originally there was a fortified tower here, built sometime during the 1370's, by the de Thweng family. The Haverbrack family then took over the site, adding a hall block to the tower, which was in turn replaced by another range of buildings by William Thornborough during the 16th century.

Above. View of Dallam Tower from the deer park.

The Orangry, which can be seen at the far left of the above photo, is reputed to stand on the site of the fortified tower. Dallam Tower as we see it today, was built by Daniel Wilson from 1720 onwards, with the original tower and the later hall demolished in about 1720\23 The hall underwent some cosmetic changes in 1826 at the hands of Kendalian architect George Webster.

The grounds are full of deer and provide a good couple of miles of walks.

Rampside Hall, Rampside

Rampside Hall
Rampside
Near Barrow in Furness
Cumbria

Rampside Hall, known locally as "the twelve apostles" owing to its dozen chimneys, is an oddity. Built sometime in the 1600's (possibly in 1634), the hall sits amongst houses built in the last fifty years, and seems to be the only remnant of times past in the area.

It can easily be viewed from Roa Island Road which hugs the coast. It was probably built for the Knype family, and in 1649 it was noted that Rampside Hall was the home of the Papist, John Knipe. It has a simple floor plan spread over three floors. According to the Images of England web site, and a report of 1969, the hall retains many original features, including a well in the basement, timber partitioned rooms, an oak staircase and a couple of original fireplaces. The hall has a strong central cross wall creating the four basic rooms on each floor, inserted when the building was erected, to house the twelve fireplaces. The hall was re-roofed in 1810, at which point it would appear that a mock parapet that ran right around the roof line, was removed.

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh
Scotland

Above. View of the Castle from Johnston Terrace.

Above. View of the castle from Granny's Green Steps.

Above. A view of the castle from Grassmarket.

Above. A view of the castle from the top of Heriot Place.

Above. A view of the castle from Heriot Place, just in front of the Flodden Wall Tower.

Canongate Tolbooth, Edinburgh

Canongate Tolbooth
Canongate (Royal Mile)
Edinburgh
Scotland

One of the oldest (if not the oldest) surviving building on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, the Tolbooth dates from around 1591. It is situated only a few yards West of the Canongate Kirk, and less than a quarter of a mile West of Holyrood Palace. The Tolbooth was once the administrative centre of the Burgh of Canongate, which stood outside the city walls. It was built by Sir Lewis Bellenden of Auchintoul.

Above. The clock on the wall of the Canongate Tolbooth. Note the tiny gun port to the right.

This building is included on this web site on the basis of its two tiny gun ports high up on the wall (shown below) Some sources state that these are proper gun ports, used in the defence of this building when it was used as a prison....whilst other sources insist that they are purely decorative, much like those in Mars Wark in Stirling. I have to admit, that their tiny size would have made it almost impossible to see what you were shooting at once the muzzle of your gun was inserted into the hole. My guess is that they were probably inserted as a decorative addition to the building's exterior.

Above. View of the two gun ports. One to the left of the small window, and one directly above the window.

Above. View of the tolbooth from across the street.

Above. View of the tolbooth looking East up Canongate.

Check this link for some brief information on the museum housed in the old Tolbooth, The People's Story.

The Flodden Wall, Edinburgh

The Flodden Wall
Edinburgh
Scotland

The photos shown here represent another portion of the Flodden wall, previously photographed and written about on this blog here. This portion of the wall, lays to the South of Edinburgh Castle, and connects directly with the smaller and more recent Telfer Wall where Brown's Place meets the Vennel at the top of the stairs.

Above. A view of the Flodden Wall tower looking South, showing the bricked-up window and a single tiny embrasure.

The beginning of the Flodden Wall is marked by the small tower shown above and below. This is the only surviving tower on the Flodden Wall today, and it has survived thanks to the Heriot Trust who saw fit to preserve it.

Above. Another view of the tower looking South, with the Castle in the background.

The tower still retains its small embrasure on the North, South and West faces. A window was opened in the South face of the tower in 1876 on the instructions of the Town Council, for what reason I don't know, but has since been bricked up.

Above. A view of the tower looking North towards Heriot Place.

The Flodden Wall was built around 1513\1514 in reaction to an expected English attack\invasion. It was hastily built, and not particularly defensible, being less than one and a half metres thick at the bottom, thinner at the top, and generally around seven feet high.

Above. An embrasure on the North face of the tower.

Above. Two embrasures on the West wall of the tower.

Above. The bricked-up window in the North face of the tower.

Above. The route of the Flodden Wall across Grassmarket. Marked by the light coloured paving stones, and the pale wall to the right of the stairs.

At the bottom of the Vennel, the plaque, shown below, can be found, marking the spot where the wall would have continued across Grassmarket. Here, somewhere between the bottom of the Vennel and the bottom of Granny's Green Steps, the West Port would have stood, one of six gateways through the Flodden Wall.

Above. Plaque marking the route of the Flodden Wall across Grassmarket.

Above. The route of the Flodden Wall looking down Granny's Green Steps towards Grassmarket and The Vennel beyond.

This is a great route towards the Castle Esplanade and the end of the Royal Mile.

The Telfer Wall, Edinburgh

The Telfer Wall
Edinburgh
Scotland

The sections of the Telfer Wall shown below, can all be found to the South of Edinburgh Castle, just off Lauriston Place and West Port\Grass Market. The wall stretches for about three hundred and fifty feet between Lauriston Place and the end of Heriot Place. Here it stops at the top of a flight of steps that leads down to Grass Market. At the top of the steps, stands a tower, marking the starting point of the Flodden Wall.

Above. The most Southerly portion of the Telfer Wall at Heriot Place.

The Telfer wall was built between 1628 and 1636 and was named after the mason responsible for its building, John Taillefer. The wall was built at the behest of Edinburgh Town Council, who, in 1618, had purchased ten acres of land laying to the West of Greyfriars Kirk.

Above. Looking South down Heriot Place with the Telfer wall on the left of the photo.

The land was eventually sold to the George Heriot's trust, who subsequently built the spectacular George Heriot School there. With other portions of the town's walls demolished to make way for new housing and roads, it's a relief that this tiny portion of Edinburgh's historical walls survives. The Heriot Trust have made sure that this portion of the Telfer wall is maintained to its full height in some areas, forty feet in places.

Above. Looking North up Heriot Place, with the castle in the background.

Above. Looking South towards Lauriston Place.

The Telfer wall was 'tagged' onto the Southern route of the older and more defensible Flodden Wall, so its course only ran to the West, the South and a tiny portion to the East, of Heriot Place. This is a great walk North towards the castle, leading to Brown's Place, Vennel, Grass Market then up the hill using Granny's Green Steps and then onto Johnstone Terrace which runs along the Southern most part of the hill upon which Edinburgh Castle is built.

Wrae Tower, Near Broughton, Peebles-Shire

Wrae Tower
Near Broughton
Peebles-Shire
Scotland

Only a tiny scrap of what is perhaps the stair tower survives of this 16th century tower house. Although this photo will never win any competitions, and would most likely come last or be disqualified for being so poor, it's all I've got at the moment...caught in an instant by my good wife!!(thank you TJ)

This blink and you'll miss it ruin, lays in a field to the West of the A701 as it runs through the Tweed Valley, a beautiful drive that takes in some of the Scotish Borders most photogenic country side. The ruins stand to around nine metres tall, over a wall that survives to around four metres thick. As mentioned above, they probably represent the remains of the North East angle of a rectangular stair turret or tower. The tower was probably built by the Tweedies of Drumelzier who were land owners in the area from as early as the 1320's. The tower can be seen from the road, and it's probably possible to get a better view if you park up, although it is on private land and cannot therefore be approached.

Kendal Castle

As this is my local castle, I thought I'd give some of the better photos of Kendal castle, and some recently acquired post cards an airing. So here are some of the best from my library.

Above. A view of the castle from Waterside down by the river.

Above. A view of the Hall. From a post card in my personal collection.

Above. A view of the interior of the castle's courtyard, when cattle were allowed to graze there. From a post card from my personal collection.

Above. A view of the castle from Castle Howe, looking East.

Above. A view of the remains of the Hall looking along the curtain wall.

Above. A view of the South West corner of the curtain wall.

Above. A view of the Strickland Tower at the North West corner of the curtain wall.

Above. A view of the castle from Castle Green Road, looking West.

Above. A view of the interior of the castle's courtyard, looking North East towards the Hall.

Above. Militia using the castle courtyard as a training ground. From a postcard in my personal collection.

Above. The Strickland Tower in the snow.

Above. A view of the Hall and the Strickland Tower, looking North West.

Above. A view of the Hall and Strickland Tower, looking West.

Above. A view from the courtyard, looking South towards the remains of the Keep tower.

Above. Another view of the remains of the Keep tower, this time from outside the curtain wall.

Above. A view of the Hall, looking North East across the faint earthworks of a building.

Above. A view of the Hall.

Above. A view of the Hall, looking East.

Above. A view of the castle from Castle Green Road, looking East.

Above. A view of the castle from Gilling Gate, looking East.

Above. A view of the castle from Low Fell Side, looking South East across the roof tops.

Above. Another view of the castle from Castle Howe, looking East.

Above. Another view of the Strickland tower in the snow.