Mallerstang Bronze age Cairns

Bronze age burial cairns
Mallerstang
Nr Kirkby Stephen
Cumbria

On the South banks of a bend in the River Eden in the Mallerstang valley, there are possibly 4 Bronze age cairns....two visible, one possibly damaged at the river side, and another unidentified as yet.

The largest of the two found recently on my visit to Lammerside Tower, is shown above, with collapsed interior and an exposed rim of river washed stones. The centre measures about 15 feet across, and is around 5 feet deep. The rubble at the centre is moss and grass covered, suggesting that its collapse was some time ago. It could of course have been robbed out, causing the damage seen today.

The above photo shows the small peninsula that the two cairns can be found on. The largest of the two cairns seen on this visit is on the mound of earth in the centre of the photo. The second, is to the right of the larger cairn, still covered in turf.

This photo (above) shows the second of the two surviving cairns. It is only distinguishable from one angle...viewed from other angles it's almost impossible to make the cairn out from the surrounding landscape.

The photo above, and below, show panoramic shots of the best of the two cairns. The collapsed centre can clearly be seen, along with the rubble rim, surrounding the centre of the cairn. The stones used to make up the rim are all smooth river washed pebbles, probably collected from the nearby river.

Cairns would most likely have contained a human burial, with huge amounts of stone piled upon the body, and sometimes turf being used to cover the stones. Over time, these burial mounds blend in with the surrounding countryside and are sometimes now difficult to find. These two cairns are right on the footpath and so very easy to explore.

Mallerstang pillow mounds

Pillow mounds
Mallerstang
Nr Kirkby Stephen
Cumbria

It will probably come as a great surprise to many, to know that rabbits were not always native to the UK, but originally came from the warmer climes of Southern Europe. Rabbits were introduced to the UK by the Normans, sometime after 1066, and were 'farmed' for their fur and meat. Originally they were not at home in England's climate, and had to be well managed...fed, protected from predators and sheltered from the adverse weather. To enable the small collections of rabbits to survive, artificial warrens were built by wealthy land owners. These artificial warrens are today known as 'Pillow Mounds' and can be found all over the UK. In the past they were sometimes mis-identified as burial mounds, and the three in Mallerstang have, for many years, been known as the Giant's Graves.

The photo above (courtesy of Simon Ledingham) shows the position of the pillow mounds in relation to the road (bottom left hand corner) the three pillow mounds shown below, can clearly be seen in this photo, with a possible fourth one on the left hand side of the hill side. At the bottom right hand side of the hill, the remains of an enclosure can just be made out, with a track running through it. This could be related to the management of these warrens.

A pillow mound typically consists of a low flat topped mound of earth, surrounded by a ditch (as illustrated here) Sometimes a run of tunnels would be constructed for the rabbits, and then earth would be thrown over these runs, creating the artificial warren. Usually, as at Mallerstang, a ditch would be dug around the warren, and if possible, filled with water. A pale, or fence, would most likely be erected around the lip of the ditch to keep out predators. On Dartmoor, where there are a large number artificial warrens, they are called buries, but elsewhere they are known as coney garths, conegars or conygrees....many villages will have streets or places bearing these names, perhaps harking back to when there were artificial warrens in the area. There is a Conybeds in Kendal, destroyed in 1815, once thought to have been a motte of some sort, but probably an artificial rabbit warren. Cornelius Nicholson, in his 1861 book, The Annals of Kendal, thought these earthworks were an 'exploratory camp'...probably Roman!

The pillow mounds in the Mallerstang area can be seen on the North facing lower slopes of Birkett Common as you travel along the B6259 between Nateby and Pendragon Castle. They appear as long narrow rectangular shapes cut into the hillside. There are three pillow mounds here, possibly more...but the three that can be seen are the best preserved. One of the mounds appears to have been excavated at some time as it has a shallow trench through its centre. The other two are very well preserved, standing to around two feet tall, and with well defined ditches around them. Each of these pillow mounds are about 20 feet wide, and about 50 feet in length.

It's thought that these particular rabbit warrens belonged to the Cliffords of Pendragon castle, about a mile and a half south. It's possible that they were placed here, visible on the side of the common, so that visitors on their way to Pendragon castle could see them from the road. Rabbit was a high status food stock, and anyone with the wealth to import rabbits, farm them and manage the warrens would be able to entertain guests to the highest standards.

In order for a land owner to be able to farm his rabbits, a licence was required from the King...providing the land owner with the 'Right of free warren'. Rabbits were hunted like many other animals, but rabbits were the only animals women could hunt....they were excluded from hunting boar or deer.

These pillow mounds can be seen from the road across the river, or can be inspected up close by following the footpath past Lammerside castle.

Lammerside Tower and its security

Lammerside Tower
Lammerside
Nr Kirkby Stephen
Cumbria

It’s looking increasingly likely that Lammerside Tower is in fact the upstanding remains of a gatehouse, and not a pele tower or castle. Despite mentions in numerous books on the subject and a number of writers perpetuating the myth of this building's defensive purpose, these remains could just be one of the attendant buildings of Lammerside….a seemingly complex manorial range of buildings, including stables, a hall (possibly lightly fortified), outbuildings, accommodation for servants and workers, a narrow tower house (built behind the surviving ruins) and an encircling barmkyn or simple curtain wall.

The above photo (courtesy of Simon Ledingham) shows the earthwork remains of the barmkyn encircling the manorial site, with other earthworks indicating the sites of buildings and landscaping features.

Indeed the whole complex would have been surrounded by this wall, to what height or thickness we don’t know…it could have been a curtain wall, or simply a field wall marking the boundary. The photo below, shows the earthwork remains of the barmkyn as it snakes over the brow of the hill. It would have continued turning right, out of site of this position, and round the back of the tower's remains, and then joined this portion of the remains from the right.

Click on the photo below for a brief explanation of the layout of the Southern end of the complex, including the path of the barmkyn, and the site of the original hall....the manorial accommodation for the Warcop family.

The following photo shows the footings of the barmkyn as it passes over the top of the hill to the West of the tower's remains. I'm reliably informed that there are masonry remains beneath the grassed bank that we can see today...indicating a wall of some sort once stood here, indeed, at certain points along the course of the earthworks, and where rabbits and hares have been excavating, rubble has been exposed in a few places.

Above. The compound boundary can still be seen today, with a modern fence on top.

The following photo shows the draw bar slot in the door of the South facing wall. The reason the draw bar slot looks as if it is only a few inches above the ground...is that it is. There is so much rubble here, that the ground has been raised about a foot and a half.

The intriguing thing about this draw bar slot, is that it appears to be on the wrong side of the door. It is actually on the outside wall of the tower....which means that if it was used, it would secure anyone stood this side of the door against anyone already in the tower? Confusing. This could re-enforce the view that the tower is in fact a gatehouse, in which case the draw bar slot would be just another level of security against anyone getting past the security of the gatehouse if they'd already managed to break in. Or...it could simply mean that the door had been moved from its original location, and re-inserted into this wall. Another explanation, could be that the substantial rectangular earthworks that lay behind the ruins, could represent the site of a tower of some sort....so that the door, with its draw bar tunnel, may have been put in place to secure the gatehouse entrance to the tower.

As more information about this building becomes available, it will be posted here.

Lammerside Tower bridge remains

Lammerside Tower bridge remains
Lammerside
Nr Kirkby Stephen
Cumbria

The manorial complex at Lammerside was large and consisted of a hall (possibly fortified) a gatehouse, attendant buildings, landscaped gardens, a barmkyn or simple curtain wall, a road approaching from the South, and to the South East, a bridge over the River Eden.

The above photo shows the roads, cut into the top soil and still visible to this day. The road disappears down to the River Eden to the right of the photo, and there are two visible trackways to the left of the photo and in the centre, both leading ultimately to Lammerside Tower, out of shot to the left.

The photo above, shows the roadway clearly leading down to the river. The limestone built bridge, probably built by the Warcops when they inhabited the hall at Lammerside, would have had a direct route to the road running through Mallerstang, North to Kirkby Stephen, and South, ultimately, to Sedbergh. The hall at Lammerside (now long gone) and the tower would have been visible from across the river as guests approached. They would then have seen the hall and all its buildings as they crossed the river, and made their away up the dedicated road heading North. This was all designed to impress those who visited the hall, and to impress on them the importance of the family in the local area.

Another view of the surviving trackway leading down to the bridge.

The photo above probably shows all that is left of the bridge, dismantled by the Whartons when they took possession of Lammerside. As well as dismantling the bridge, the Whartons tore down the hall, now only a feint earthwork in the hill side, destroyed all the attendant buildings, and probably converted the tower we see today, into accommodation. It is their possession of the Lammerside buildings, that has resulted in the tower mistakenly being identified as a pele tower. In all likelihood, this surviving building was in fact the gatehouse, not the hall (fortified or otherwise) of the complex of buildings. It seems that the Warcops of Lammerside, sandwiched between the Cliffords of Pendragon to the South East, and the Whartons of Wharton Hall to the North West, were in an almost perpetual state of neighbourly dispute, and after many years of bullying by their Wharton neighbours, finally succumbed. The Whartons all but wiped Lammerside and the Warcops off the map.

Lammerside Tower, Spring 2009 visit

Lammerside Tower
Nr Kirkby Stephen
Cumbria

Lammerside deserved another visit...I haven't been there since December 2005....and this time the weather, although cold, was much better. The earthworks also look more defined, the grass was just the right length.

The above photos shows the earthworks that now show where the surrounding barmkyn or curtain wall would once have run. This view shows the earthworks at the South side of the tower. They run from right to left, and continue right up the hill (out of shot) and would originally have surrounded the whole complex of buildings. At the top of the hill, the buried footings are surmounted by a modern fence, re-enforcing the medieval boundary.

The photo above, shows the tower looking from the West, at the top of the hill. The earthworks in the foreground, are thought to be the remains of an ornamental garden, probably placed here to give the viewer the best panoramic views of the tower and its attendant buildings, and Nateby Common. The fence, sitting on top of the medieval boundary, can just be seen to the left.

The photo above, shows the hall, looking at the Southern wall. The earthworks in the foreground would have been a substantial building, with thick walls, that would most likely have butted up against the now exposed face of the tower.

This photo shows a view from the first floor of the tower. The collapsed floor can just be seen in the foreground.

View of the South East corner of the tower. This photo shows just how much of the cladding has been destroyed or removed over the years, exposing the rough rubble from which the tower is constructed.

Pendragon Castle, Spring 2009 visit

Pendragon Castle
Mallerstang nr Kirkby Stephen
Cumbria

My favourite site, probably in the whole of Cumbria...Pendragon is isolated on the best of days, but with a cold wind blowing, and squally showers and bleak grey skies, it's all the more spectacular and yet lonely. This visit yielded some glimpses into the defences employed by its builders that made this building a safe haven in such a bleak and lonely landscape.

First of all, the doorway in the castle's North facing wall. There are no less than three levels of security on this entrance. The first, seen on the left of the door jamb (above), and the right of the door jamb (below) The series of deep holes would originally have had metal hinges leaded into them securely, from which a heavy door would have hung.

The next two photos show the draw bar slots and the groove in which the portcullis would have run. The draw bar slots would have secured yet another door, and the portcullis would have been the external security for this entrance.

The photo above, shows the East door jamb. The draw bar tunnel in this jamb is fairly shallow, perhaps around 4 inches deep, and rectangular in shape...however this may be due to a missing stone from it's lower lip. The portcullis slot can also be clearly seen on this jamb, running from top to bottom of the outer lip of the door jamb...although the interior guiding lip has been chipped or eroded away.

The photo above, shows the West door jamb, again with the draw bar tunnel and the portcullis slot....this time much better preserved. The draw bar tunnel in this jamb is perhaps a foot deep. The portcullis slot runs from top to bottom and looks almost complete. There would most likely have been a room above part of the doorway from which the portcullis could be raised and lowered.

The photo above shows the remains of the gatehouse. Most likely the site of the Countess Gate, this would have been the only way over the deep moat that runs almost the full circuit of the castle's mound. These earthwork remains are situated on the East side of the site, next to the modern causeway that now provides easy access to the castle. The mound in the centre of the photo, probably marks the last remains of buried footings of the gatehouse, and the area to the left of this, in front of the modern wall, would most likely have been an outer courtyard area.

The photo above shows the deep depression in the moat where the gatehouse's deep cellar would have been (just to the right of the modern causeway) You can just make out the buried masonry marking the spot the gatehouse would have occupied.

It's now thought that Lady Ann Clifford had the castle rebuilt and refurbished as a Summer retreat, with her ancestors using it as a hunting lodge....the security built into its fabric to make sure that local families, such as the Warcops and the Whartons, did not enter un-invited. There seems to have been a long running feud between the Cliffords, the Whartons and the Warcops regarding park boundaries, with all three families laying claims to large areas in the region.

Sizergh Castle, Spring 2009

Sizergh Castle
Sizergh
Nr Kendal
Cumbria

Sizergh Castle has recently undergone a period of in depth maintenance. For two years the exterior of the castle has been clad in scaffolding, essentially hiding the building from view...until now!! The scaffolding is down, and the newly re-pointed castle has been unveiled.....and what a fantastic job the restorers have done. Gone is the dour, dark exterior stone work, and gone is the (beautiful in Summer) ivy that previously clung to most of the tower. Instead, a pale limestone tower dominates the buildings looking out over beautifully manicured gardens.

A view of the castle from the gardens below.

This photograph shows the South facing, 14th or 15th century Deincourt tower to the left, the 15th century Drawing room with its terrace in the centre, and the 15th century Muniments tower to the right.

A view of the castle from the South West from the drive. The stair turret can be seen jutting out from the Deincourt tower.

A magnificent view of the Deincourt tower from the West across the well manicured lawns.

The same view, but closer. The re-pointed tower shows off it windows much better now that the ivy cladding has been removed.

A classic view of Sizergh castle looking from the North into the courtyard.

The Deincourt tower can be seen to the right of the photo, with the North face of the Hall in the centre. The 16th century Morning room can be seen to the left of the photo. To the right of the photo, disappearing behind the trees, are a line of buildings, erected in the 16th century, and containing kitchens, barracks, a chapel and laundry rooms. The line of buildings to the left of the photo, also date from the 16th century, and contained another kitchen and accommodation.

Another view of the castle from the South, showing the Deincourt tower, the central Hall, and the Muniments Tower.

A view of the Deincourt tower from the West in the walled garden.

The armorial plate above the second floor window in the North facing wall of the Deincourt tower, probably dates from the 14th century, and is quartered with the Strickland coat of arms (top right and bottom left) and the, as yet, unidentified arms of another family. The castle is open to view now, and you can pay to see the house and the gardens, or just the gardens.

Moat, Ravenstonedale

Moated site
Ravenstonedale
Cumbria

This is one of the intriguing sites with little history available to tell. Sited some two miles South West of Kirkby Stephen, just off the A685, the earthworks here are only really visible if you stop and take a 'slide' down the embankment. Once you've found them however, they're quite impressive. The site consists of a range of banks and ditches, and may represent the remains of a medieval moated manor. The Southern extremes of the site have undoubtedly been buried beneath the houses here, whilst the Northern extremes of the site have undoubtedly vanished beneath the bank upon which the A685 now runs.

The site is very large, covering all of the fields between the houses and road with an estimated width of around 120 feet and a total overall length of around 180 feet. The ditches and embankments are very well defined, some of them up to 4 feet deep in places. The remains are described as a moated site, or a motte with a gate, by Pastscape, and may represent the remains of a manor dating from before 1150. Philip Davis of the Gatehouse website labels this site as a 'questionable' fortification.....but whatever the history connected with these remains, they represent something fairly major.

Of course...there is always the possibility that these remains represent nothing more than the remains of a medieval garden that was built in the area. Interestingly, there are a number of dykes and earthworks to the North of these remains. Clearly marked on the ordnance survey map, and just discernible on aerial photos, they seem to represent the remains of either dykes or hollow ways. There are also a number of 'pillow mounds' (rabbit warrens), visible on aerial photos, positioned a few hundred metres to the North of the Ravenstonedale earthworks. Could the presence of these warrens indicate the presence of a manorial centre in the area? The area was once clearly emparked....the sheer number of pillow mounds still surviving and visible, would indicate that this was certainly the case. It also lends strength to the argument that the earthworks shown above, are in fact fish ponds....similar to the set up at Lammerside, where an emparked area also contains both rabbit warrens and fish ponds. As more information is discovered, it will be posted here.

Click on the photos for full size versions!

Kentmere Hall, Kentmere Nr Kendal

Kentmere Hall
Nr Kendal
Cumbria

Kentmere Tower can be found about 12 miles North of Kendal, at the end of the Kentmere valley from where the River Kent springs. The tower and attached hall dominate the Northern end of the valley, along with the small church of St Cuthbert.

The site consists of a 15th century cross wing to the East of the building, a central hall, again dating from the 15th century, and, most importantly, a 14th century tower to the West. A 19th century kitchen is situated to the rear of the hall.

The tower stands to three storeys, and was probably built around 1375 by the Gilpin family. Indeed, the whole of Kentmere once belonged to the Gilpin family, until the land and the tower and hall were sold to the Philipsons in the 1660’s. The tower covers an area of around 9 metres by 7 metres, with walls some 1 and a half metres thick at ground level. There is a vaulted basement and a spiral staircase still exists in the North East corner, visible from the outside as a small projection. The corbelled parapet still exists most of the way around the summit of the tower.

Above. Floor plan of the tower and the attached hall house. 

Above. Rear view of the tower and hall house.

An early drawing by Machell, shows the hall with the tower attached to it, with no other buildings in attendance.

This is one of those great sites that have good access. A public footpath runs right past the tower, affording great views.

The building of Kentmere Hall, includes the fantastical appearance of a local 'giant', Hugh Hird (the Troutbeck Giant!!). It is alleged that, whilst the tower was being roofed, ten men could not lift and place the huge chimney beam, which it is said, measured thirty feet long, thirteen inches by twelve and a half thick, and sits some six feet up. Whilst the builders were resting, and no doubt pondering how they would get this huge piece of wood in place, Hugh turned up and single handed put this chimney beam into place. The story then goes onto say how Hugh killed himself at the age of 42, tearing up trees in the Kentmere valley, with his bare hands!!! Legend also tells us that Hugh was a defender of local villages and their people during raids by the Scots.

Melmbery Hall, Melmerby

Melmerby Hall
Melmerby
Cumbria

The small village of Melmerby can be found about six miles North East of Penrith on the A686. The church of church of St John the Baptist sits right next to a long high wall that runs the length of the gardens of the hall. The village appears in some historical documentation as a defensible village....a feature of a few scattered villages in this part of the county. But unlike Milburn and Temple Sowerby, Melmerby seems to have lost the traditional form and shape of these villages.

(Above photo courtesy of Simon Ledingham)

Views of the hall are difficult to come by, so my visit to Melmerby was fruitless where photographing the hall was concerned. However, a kind benefactor recently sent me a newspaper cutting with a photo of the hall....and this is what can be seen here.

Above. An old postcard (from a personal collection) showing the village green.

The oldest part of the current building probably dates from around the latter part of the 16th century. There are reports of a date stone being seen with a date of 1597 carved in it.

The original fortification, a 'tower' of some description, is thought to have been built sometime in the early 14th century, but all that survives now, is the 16th century hall range, consisting of a parlour and scullery. A record, probably dating from around 1322, states "John de Denum kept a garrison of twelve men at his tower of Melmerby".

Interestingly, the small church a few hundred yards away, is thought to contain the remains of 14th century tower, possibly built as a place of refuge. Could this be in any way connected with the hall?

Check this link.

More views of Kendal Castle

Here are a few more views of Kendal Castle, a site that seems to change with each day!!

Below, a view of the main hall from within the confines of the inner court. This part of the castle has been heavily restored and consolidated. Originally, this area would have contained the kitchens, guest accommodation and stores in the vaulted chambers beneath (not shown here)

Below, a view of the castle from across Goose Holme by the river. (click to enlarge) The trees were planted on the castle's slopes sometime around 1813, when the whole of Castle Hill was owned by the Dowker family. At this time, much of the castle's wall was capped and other stone work was repaired and secured. Kendal castle has a distinct lack of architectural points that can aid the visitor with dating its fabric. It's likely that the early 19th century consolidation work that was carried out was responsible for this.

Below, a view of Kendal Castle taken in the snow in December 2008(click to enlarge) It is thought that the castle started off its life as a ring work, much like Pennington near Ulverston. The moat is surmounted by a bank, upon which the wall is built. There's every possibility that the castle was temporarily set up as a ring work structure, for the duration of its construction, to give its builders an element of protection.

Below. Kendal Castle from Abbot Hall park (click to enlarge)