St Cuthberts, Great Salkeld.

St Cuthbert
Great Salkeld
Eden
Cumbria

Great Salkeld is about six miles North of Penrith, on the B6412. The most prominent building in the village is the medieval church of St Cuthbert that sits in the centre of the village, occupying a large green. This is another one of those dream sites....a great medieval (and earlier) church, with a fortified portion...the late 14th century pele tower at the west end of the building.

There are portions of the church that date from the 12th century, namely the North and South walls of the Nave. These walls are broken only by the insertion of much younger windows, probably from around the 1860's.

The South doorway is a fine Norman relic, with well defined dog tooth designs, still fresh and sharp.

There are a multitude of beasts and figures decorating the arch, and all appear in good condition. The door must have been protected from the Cumbrian elements by a porch for many years.

The chancel to the East of the church, dates from the 17th century, as do the windows here.

The most intriguing portion of this church though, has to be the tower.

Built in 1380 specifically as a pele tower, it would have been used as a place of safety when the English or the Scots were raiding the area. The walls are around 1.6 metres thick, over 3 storeys, including an embattled roof. The stair turret is slightly taller than the tower itself, and was unfortunately locked. Through this door, the upper floors are accessed, as is the basement, allegedly used to house prisoners. However....the tower, now used as the vestry, was unlocked so I was able to explore. The room is tiny, perhaps only 10 feet square. The three windows are tiny, probably only 8 inches wide, and two feet high....and the thickness of the walls is clearly visible.

The only way into the tower, is through a narrow door up two steps. The tower has a single arched window in the internal wall, probably added at a later date.

The tower was secured by a sturdy oak panelled door or a yett, with two iron draw bars that fit into a deep groove in the wall.

The oak is re-enforced with iron bands that run from end to end, horizontally and vertically. It weighs heavily too, but opens very smoothly on its hinges. The roof of the ground floor of the tower is vaulted, with a very shallow arch. The door to the upper floors was unfortunately locked, but apparently there is a fireplace on the first floor with a gravestone used as a lintel above, dating from around 1290.

An effigy of Thomas de Caldebec, from about 1320, lays on the floor of the Chancel. Thomas was the Rector of Great Salkeld in 1319. The church seems to be open most days, and is well worth a visit.

Askham, nr Lowther

Askham
Eden
Cumbria

Situated about two miles West of the A6 and less than quarter of a mile from Lowther Castle, the picturesque village of Askham is built around a village green once used for the safe corralling of cattle and other livestock. The village is one of three in the area regarded as defensible, and consists of a central green, surrounded by an almost unbroken ring of houses. Although the green has long since been developed and buildings have been erected within the confines of the green, the basic shape that defines this type of village can still be seen here.

Many of the original buildings have long since been replaced or demolished entirely, but the basic idea of the ring of houses and buildings can still be seen. The village is much the same in shape and form as nearby Milburn and Temple Sowerby.

The manor of Askham (in the past named Ascum) passed from the Helbeck and Swinburns over time, and eventually came to be held by the Sandford family. The Sandford family held the manor from the 1375 until 1724, when William Sandford died with no male heir. The manor was sold to the Lowthers thereafter, who's family seat was the nearby Lowther Castle.

Askham Hall was built on a small prominence overlooking the village, originally by Robert de Swinburn, but whatever building was here, was burnt down by the Scots in 1325. There are no records stating what damage was done to the village. The Sandford family built the current hall in around 1375, and it's believed that the layout of the village also came into being at about this time, probably to defend valuable live stock against raids from Scots and English alike.

Dacre Castle, Dacre

Dacre Castle

Dacre

Cumbria

The village of Dacre lays just south of the A66, East of Penruddock, and West of Stainton. The area is literally over flowing with pele towers and castles. Within 5 miles of Dacre, Dalemain, Catterlan, Johnby, Hutton-in-the-forrest, Greystoke and Blencow, to name but a few, can all be found.

Above. A view of the castle from the North, with St Andrews in the background.

The Dacre family were medieval landowners in this area and the church of St Andrew just across the beck, contains the remains of a sandstone effigy that probably depicts a Dacre knight from the 14th century.

Above. An effigy of a Dacre Knight.

This small castle probably dates from the late 14th century, and most likely replaced an earlier tower, dating, in turn, from the early 1300’s. The castle sits at the side of a small roadway, which fortunately is a right of way, and affords excellent close up views of the castle. Portions of the moat can still be seen, specifically, the northern corner of the moat, and a small portion to the south of the tower, now landscaped. The rest has been filled in and lays beneath the road. (This pathway\road incidentally, eventually leads to Dalemain, some 2 miles to the East)

Above. The moat to the West of the castle.

The earlier building on this site, was so badly destroyed by a Scottish raid in 1317, that it required a complete rebuild. It is probably this building that we see today, dating from around 1354, when Margaret de Dacre was granted a license for the castle chapel.

Above. Another view of the moat to the West of the castle.

Many of the walls are up to 2 and a half metres thick, and built of the locally familiar red sandstone. There are four towers, three of which are almost identical, with the North East tower slightly larger. The crenellations now give way to steepled roofs, but they would once have been flat. The Dacre family crest can be seen over the doorway, but owing to the amount of greenery in the garden it was impossible to get a good photograph.

Above. The castle from the East.

The castle remained in the Dacre family until the death of Lord Dacre, Earl of Sussex in 1715. The castle and the extensive lands that went with it, were purchased by Sir Christopher Musgrave. Musgrave’s daughter Julia married Edward Hasell, who was then granted the Dacre estates. These grants of land and property were absorbed into the Dalemain estates under who's stewardship they remain to this day.

Above. The castle from the North West.

The castle is shown in an engraving of 1739, as ruinous with vegetation growing from the top floors and the roofs. It found use as a farmhouse during the latter part of the 18th century. In 1961, the castle was restored sufficiently to be inhabited, and has thus remained a home to this day.

The castle lays a few hundred feet from the buried remains of a pre-Norman (Anglo-Saxon) monastery. This site was raided by Vikings in around 875, and then rebuilt in 926. Extensive archaeological excavations have found the buried remains of at least 200 people, clearly indicating a site of significant importance. The cemetery was probably disused for a long period of time, and eventually the whole site was superceded by a church on the site of the present St Andrews across the beck.

As mentioned before, the castle is easily accessible via the public right of way that runs alongside the gardens and the remains of the moat. From here, great views can be had. A few hundred yards to the North West, the church of St Andrews lays, with its carved bears and 12th and 13th century architecture.

Lowther Castle Stead, Lowther

Lowther Castle Stead

Lowther

nr Askham

Cumbria

The earthwork remains of Castle Stead lay about a quarter of a mile north of Lowther castle, and overlook the River Lowther from the top of a high cliff. The remains of this medieval fortification are one of a few in this small area. To the West is Askham Hall, a 14th century pele tower.

(Askham Hall from the river side. Yes I know....a poor shot, but believe me, the hall is incredibly difficult to photograph.)

A few hundred yards up the road is the small village of Askham....a defensible village.

To the south are the remains of Lowther castle, incorporating both 19th, 13th and 17th century towers and halls.

It has been suggested that these remains represent the remains of a pele tower, possibly dating from the late 12th century. The earthworks are rectangular in shape, perhaps 60 feet by 20 feet and stand to about 6 feet in places.

The earth banks appeared to consist of a mixture of earth and rubble, and in places mature trees were growing from the remains. Each side of the enclosure was broken in half by a gap, perhaps 6 to 8 feet in length. There didn't appear to be any features in the centre of the site.

General consensus is that the position that these remains occupy, represent a good site for a tower, possibly a pele tower. Indeed, the point at which the current road bridge crosses the river Lowther, is very shallow. Here the water flows over a slick river bed made of solid stone. On a normal day, the water here is only a matter of a few inches deep.

A map of 1863 clearly shows a square enclosure on this spot, labelled as Castle Stead. The site is obviously of some antiquity. It is easily accessible too. The footpath leading to the remains, can be joined opposite the church of St Michael. Alternatively, you can make the steep scramble up the hill side from the road to the remains.

Rosgill Hall, nr Shap

Rosgill Hall
Nr Shap
Cumbria

Rosgill Hall sits on the banks of the River Lowther, about two miles north of Shap abbey, and about two and half miles west of Shap. This small hall is either on the site of a pele tower, or contains the remains\masonry of a pele tower. The hall is also described as a fortified house, in the same vein as Helsfell Hall and Gillthwaiterigg near Kendal.

The manor of Rosgill was held by the Rosgill\Rosgil family from the early 1200's, through to around 1399, when it passed by marriage to the Salkeld family. In later years, the manor was then sold to the Lowthers. The Rosgills were of such standing, that there is a burial chamber at the end of the South aisle in the nearby church of St Michael's in Shap. Some records state that the house, as seen in the photo above, once existed alongside the tower here at Rosgil. The current building definitely dates from the 16th century, but with so little information to go on, there's not really much else that can be said here.

Piel Castle, Piel Island

Piel Castle
Piel Island
Cumbria

Situated on the 20 acre island of Piel, at the mouth of Piel Channel, this castle has battled the elements for nearly 880 years. The island was originally fortified during the reign of King Stephen, although a licence to crenellate was granted sometime before his reign began, in 1327. This early licence was granted to the Abbot of Furness Abbey by Edward III, and was documented as having been granted to "crenellate their dwelling house of Fotheray in Fourneys".

The castle has in the past also been known as Fouldry Castle, The Pile of Fotheray, Fowdray, and Peel....but it is by the island's name that it is best known. Piel Castle. The island was fortified as a means to defending the Piel Channel, a deep area of water that would enable ships of all sizes to dock at nearby ports. The Abbey at Furness was originally a controlling force in local trade, and exerted great control over the area. The fortification on this small island, meant that the Abbey could control sea-going traffic arriving and leaving the West coast of Lancashire (as it was then) The lands on the island were granted to the order of Savignac monks by King Stephen in 1127, and formed part of the grant which also included the lands on which Furness Abbey would be built. The Savignac order merged with the Cistercians around 1150-60, and it was about this time that the Abbey's influence in the local area, and indeed wider afield began to grow. This of course included trade, and the island was an ideal place to build a protected harbour and warehouses.

In 1212, a wooden tower, possibly of a defensive nature, was erected on the island, when King John granted the abbey a license to land one ship of wheat, four and other foods during a famine that was affecting the area. Further licenses were granted in 1232 and 1258, granting the abbey the right to ship unlimited ship loads of cargo in and out of the harbour. These licenses also meant that the ships were now under Royal protection.

With the full license to crenellate from 1327, the stone castle was constructed, and much of what can be seen today, dates from this period. As well as keeping pirates and raiders away from the valuable stores and cargoes held at the castle, the strong walls also kept the Royal Customs officers out. Some documents suggest that smuggling, to the gain of Furness Abbey, was committed at this time.

When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries of Great Britain, the castle passed into Royal ownership. With the threat of invasion from mainland Europe, the castle was upgraded, re-fortified and strengthened. The channel that ran alongside Piel Island was recognised as being deep enough for large enemy warships, with large amounts of men to use. By 1537, the castle was in a poor state of repair. It was stated at the time that £300 would scarcely be enough to make good any damage. During the civil war, the Parliamentary forces considered repairing the castle and making it a North Western stronghold. Further investigation apparently revealed the level of decay and idea was shelved. Charles II, upon his return to England, and the restoration of the monarchy, granted the island and the castle to George Monck, Duke of Albermarle. A certain amount of repairs were conducted between 1876 and 1878, but these works seem to be the last time the castle was attended to.

Photo of Piel Castle courtesy of John Jefferies.

The remains consist of the keep with its attendant curtain wall, around half of which still survives, and the outer ward with its corner towers and chapel. The sea has claimed the curtain wall to the South and to the East of the castle, with the North Eastern and South Eastern towers also suffering erosion. The outer ward walls have also been eroded on the South and the East of the castle, and to the West it looks as if the wall has been demolished, possibly used for building material elsewhere on the island. The castle keep has also been eroded, so that around a quarter of the of the East wall has fallen into the sea. Huge amounts of fallen masonry lay on the beach to the South and the South East of the island. The inner ward earthworks still survive between the inner ward wall and the outer ward, but again, sea erosion has destroyed the Southern and Eastern portions. The keep's walls are around 2 and a half metres thick, with huge buttresses at each corner. The gatehouse on the North end of the keep, still has the grooves in which the portcullis was raised and lowered. The inner part of the gatehouse also had a portcullis. The defensive capabilities of the castle seem quite formidable.....whether they were ever put to the test is not known.

The castle is still pending a visit, but I've managed to take some photos from Roa Island which lies about half a mile to the North of Piel Island. From here, in the Summer, a ferry can be used to gain access to the island, and the castle is freely accessible. Unfortunately, each time I've been to visit the castle so far, the ferry hasn't been running. Another visit is due this Summer.

Smardale Hall, nr Crosby Garrett

Smardale Hall
nr Crosby Garrett
Cumbria

Smardale Hall, now part of a working farm, lays about a mile and a half South East of the small village of Crosby Garrett. The hall sits in a prominent position overlooking Scandal Beck, and the small unused ford that crosses this narrow stretch of water. It's thought that a small motte may have been the original fortification on this site, with the original hall being built sometime in the late 14th century, possibly around 1388 by the Smerdales. The original earthworks are still meant to be evident, although these were not seen on my visit.

The hall as seen today, is, to all intents and purposes, a 15th and 16th century house, with scant elements of the original pele tower surviving. These earliest 14th century portions may only be limited to a newel, the central support for a spiral staircase, in one of the two corner towers, possibly the one on the right of the above photo. There are four towers in total, situated at each corner of the main part of the house. The two rear towers probably date from the 15th and 16th century rebuilding of the house, whilst the two front towers are older, and at least one of these two, dates from the late 14th century.

It is thought that the hayloft, a large building that still stands, attached to the rear of the present hall, was the original great hall, indicated by the survival of some decorative plaster work. This building would have formed part of one side of the whole recangular courtyard layout, with the long, four towered builing forming the top end of the enclosure. The following plan of the original layout of the site shows how it would once have looked.

The Old Tower, as marked on the above plan, was a 14th century defensible tower, which was unforunately demolished.

Looking at the above photograph, it's just possible to make out the other two towers at the rear of the building. These towers (behind the trees) are the later of the four towers. The two at the front on all the photos here are the South East and the South West towers, and as such, are the only remnants of the original pele tower. The walls of these two front towers are said to be much thicker than the two rear ones, possibly indicating their defensive qualities.

Above. Old postcard showing one end of Smardale Hall.

The hall was later owned by the Warcops, who also had strong links with Warcop Tower in the small village of Warcop. The hall can be viewed from the nearby road, and also from the walk along the now disused railway. This is one of those sites that is best viewed in winter when the trees are bare.

Lammerside Castle\Tower, Mallerstang

Lammerside Castle
Mallerstang
nr Kirkby Stephen
Cumbria

The remains of Lammerside tower lay 2 miles to the South of Wharton Hall, two miles to the North of Pendragon, and about 4 miles to the South of Kirkby Stephen.

This tiny scrap of a castle occupies the beautiful West side of Wharton Fell a few hundred yards from a bend in the River Eden as it passes through the valley and on towards Pendragon.

The castle is off the A683, and down an open fell road leading to Croop Farm, a private residence but with free public access to the field in which the castle is situate via a public footpath.

The footpath takes you right up the castle, giving you the opportunity to explore the remains here, close up. What you will find is a small tower surviving to second floor height in most places. Most of the walls survive to around one and a half metres thick, and the remains are around 14 by 11 and a half metres square.

It’s obvious from the amount of rubble buried beyond the tower walls, that there were other buildings here, possibly containing a hall. There are also the earthwork remains of a barmkin wall, which would have provided an enclosed yard to the West of the tower. aerial photos on the Visit Cumbria web site show the extent of the earthworks surrounding the tower to great effect.

Probably built sometime in the 1300’s the tower and its attendant buildings may have been built by the Warcops, with a branch of the Wharton family occupying it until the late 1400’s.

The Warcops are associated with a tower of Lambersete in documents dating from 1404, detailing Thomas de Warcop’s part in the abduction of Margaret de Sandford, aged only nine years old, so that he could marry her. The abduction was carried out by Roland de Thornburgh on Thomas’ behalf. Later documents state that Edward V, in 1462, stipulated that Thomas Warcop should pay the amount of “fyve marc sterling” to Thomas Sandford, possibly a relation of Margaret’s. Whether this payment formed some sort of punishment for Margaret’s abduction, isn’t known.

The tower still retains its superb vaulted ceilings on the ground floor, and these can be seen upon entering the tower. Much, if not all, of the outer stone dressing has long since gone, whether removed or simply fallen away over the years, giving the outer walls a very rough look. The base of a fallen spiral staircase can still be seen in one wall.

The valley of Mallerstang is a beautiful place to visit on any day, even just for the scenery, but with the addition of Pendragon and Lammerside (Wharton Hall cannot be visited!!) it makes for a great place to spend some time. Lammerside and Pendragon are linked by the public footpath, and only about two miles apart.

Pendragon Castle, Mallerstang

Pendragon Castle

Mallerstang

nr Kirkby Stephen

Cumbria

The remains of Pendragon castle lay about 5 miles to the South of Kirkby Stephen, on the B6259. The road winds its way along the bottom of Mallerstang valley with the river Eden at its side, and the spectacular Mallerstang Edge cutting the skyline to the East of the castle. The valley is home to three main fortified buildings: Lammerside Castle, Wharton Hall, and, most spectacularly, Pendragon Castle.

The remains of the little castle, sit on the summit of a small spur of land that juts out over the river Eden below it. The earthworks stand to around 12 metres high, with the solid remains of two causeways breaking the ditch that encircles the castle. Indeed, the ditch\dry moat that runs around the castle is around 3 metres deep and some 7 metres wide. Legend has it that Uther Pendragon, the legendary eponymous builder of the original castle, tried in vain to redirect the river Eden into the castle’s moat, but failed at every attempt.

The masonry remains are quite substantial, but what has been lost along the way is even greater. The walls stand to between 2 to 4 metres thick in places, demonstrating the defensive capabilities of the building, and still stand in places to second floor height, but mainly to ground and first floor. The third and top storey of the castle has long since collapsed, mostly filling the interior with rubble. It is this masonry ‘rubbish’ that forms the floor over which you have to clamber once inside the castle walls.

The interior of the castle would have been partitioned off into smaller rooms, both at ground level, first floor, second and third floors, but all interior\dividing walls have long since been dismantled or have collapsed.

Much of the outer stone cladding has been removed over the years, possibly for nearby buildings, but probably on the instructions of previous owners for more substantial and regal buildings elsewhere.

The castle is thought to date from the latter part of the 12th century….possibly from around 1173. Hugh de Moreville is thought to have had ownership of the original castle, from around the late 1170’s or early 1180’s. What part of the remains represent this early castle is hard to tell, but the remains are substantial enough, and diverse enough to suggest that rebuilding, renovation and expansion have been an ongoing part of the castle’s history. Documentary evidence exists telling us that the castle was restored to the ownership of Hugh de Morville’s nephew, Robert de Vipont in 1203, with ownership then passing to Robart de Leyburne in around 1269. When de Vipont died in 1283, the castle was mentioned in documents as ‘the castle of Mallerstang’.

For the most part, the castle we see today probably dates from 1309, when a licence to crenellate the tower was granted to Robert de Clifford. The licence was granted by Edward II, and was probably as a result of a request by Robert in view of Scottish attacks on the area. Ownership of the castle was forfeited by Roger de Clifford to Edward II, when he was captured by Edward’s army at the battle of Boroughbridge. However, ownership was restored to the de Cliffords in 1323.

An attack on the castle in 1341 by the Scots, caused so much damage, mainly by fire, that it was largely abandoned until around 1360 when it was rebuilt and extended. The corner turret that stands out from the South West wall, was probably built at this time, by Robert de Clifford. The castle remained inhabited until 1541, when a fire again damaged the castle beyond repair. It wasn’t until 1660, that it was restored again, this time by Lady Anne Clifford.

The inconspicous mounds of earth shown in the first photo of this post, may represent the remains of the footings\foundations of stables built by Lady Anne Clifford. The castle enjoyed over 20 years of care and attention, until it was partially dismantled in around 1685, by the Earl of Thanet, Lady Anne’s successor. The castle was superfluous to requirements, and masonry, lead and timber were removed and used in the upkeep mainly of Appleby Castle.

Today the castle sits in a quiet and remote part of the Cumbrian fells, with hardly any passing traffic and only the odd walker for company. Although it’s sited on private land, access is allowed. The surrounding field, moat and the interior of the castle are fully accessible.

Heversham Hall, Heversham

Heversham Hall
Heversham
Cumbria

Heversham Hall lays just off the A6 in Heversham, and can be viewed from the road, from the A6, and from the B road that runs along the front of the property. The fragmentary masonry remains of a building can just be seen above the stone wall running parallel to the A6, although in Summer it's difficult to see this tiny scrap of wall.

The site is split into three parts. First off is the hall, still standing and inhabited, and built in the mid 14th century. Secondly, and of the same period, is the portion of wall, possibly once belonging to a small tower or solar block. The tower was probably built in 1348, and by 1540, was abandoned and probably dismantled or demolished. For some reason, the one free standing wall, measuring around 15 feet tall, by 10 feet wide with a small window, was retained, and still stands to the side of the hall. In all likely-hood, the masonry from the tower was re-used in the hall. The third part of the site, is the, as yet, unexplored earthworks in the field between the hall and the A6. Judging by the photo of the hall taken from the side of A6, the site looks as if it's possibly surrounded by the shallow remains of a ditch or possibly a shallow moat. Some documentary evidence points at this possibility, but there doesn't seem to have been any exploration of these features.

If this was a pele tower, it would have belonged to quite a large group of towers in the area, including Wraysholme, Arnside, Beetham, Burneside, Skelsmergh, Selside, Ubarrow, Godmond, Preston Patrick, Hazelslack and Hollin. The sheer number of these structures in the area is staggering, and many of them appear to be in good condition. This is one of two in the area that consist solely of one simple scrap of wall...the other being Dalton Old Hall near Burton in Kendal.

The hall, and possibly the tower, were built by the Wyndesores family, with the rebuild of the hall undertaken by the Buskell family in 1540. The tower is thought to have been abandoned at this time.

Burton Hall, Warcop

Burton Hall

Warcop

Cumbria.

The only known remains of Burton Hall in Warcop, possibly a fortified manor house, now lay in the church yard of St Columba in Warcop. They conisist soley of a small portion of a window, and a doorway.

We know that the hall and the family that owned it were important in the area, as St Columba's had a Burton Hall chapel, as well as a chapel for the family from nearby Warcop Tower.

Above. The surviving doorway now in the church yard of St Columba.

The hall was situated in what is now the Warcop training army training area.....marked on the map as a 'Danger Area'. On the day I visited, tanks and machine guns could clearly be heard.

The remains of the door are thought to belong to the 15th century hall, now completely demolished, which originally lay about three quarters of a mile North of the A66. The map still shows that the earthworks of fish ponds survive to this day. The manor of Burton, which itself is about two miles North of Warcop, was originally held by the Burton family, until it passed to the Hiltons (who have a Burton Hall pew inside the church), and then finally to the Wyberghs of Clifton near Penrith (who have name and memorial plaques in the church at Clifton)

Above. Aerial view of the fish ponds, courtesy of Simon Ledingham.

Why the remains of the window (which I couldn't find) and the doorway were moved here, and not kept in the hamlet of Burton, I do not know....but the remains are an indication of the ornamentation instilled in the hall, and that has now obviously vanished. If you venture out to see the church at Warcop, the doorway is hidden in the undergrowth to the rear of the church, and backs onto the driveway of the old vicarage.