Abbey Craig Fort, Stirling

Abbey Craig Fort
The Wallace Monument
Stirling
Scotland

The impressive Wallace Monument, erected in memory of Scottish legend and hero William Wallace, towers above the surrounding countryside. The 220 foot tower, built between 1862 and 1869, is sited on the foundations of an Iron Age hill fort, of which only a fraction survives.

Above. A view of the monument from the South West.

The fort was built at the North end of Abbey Craig, a spur of high land that juts from the floor of the valley, and is thought to have been occupied between 500 and 780AD.

Above. View of the monument from the South West.

Above. A view of the surviving bank (right of the photo)

The sole surviving relic of this fort, is the crescent shaped bank that runs around the West and East sides of the summit of Abbey Craig. The bank, shown above and below, is about 260 feet in length, and stands to around five feet in height. It is made up of what is thought to be the rubble core of a substantial wall, that would have had a wooden palisade running its full length.

Above. Internal view of the surviving bank....all that remains of the fort.

The interior of the fort would have covered an area measuring roughly 175 by 125 feet. A second rampart can still be seen some forty feet to the East of the surviving bank, further down the hill. This second rampart stands to around four feet high, and is still nearly four feet wide.

Above. View from the summit of the Wallace Monument, looking South West towards Cambuskenneth.

The remains at the summit of Abbey Craig, which were no doubt more plentiful before the Wallace Monument was built, were said by local historians, to have been erected by Cromwell 's forces when he laid siege to Stirling Castle. It's only fairly recently that the idea of the hilltop as an Iron Age hill fort over a Cromwellian siege castle have been agreed upon. It is also said that Abbey Craig was the spot from which William Wallace commanded his forces, as they defeated the advancing English as they attempted to cross Stirling Bridge in September 1297.

Above. William Wallace looking out from high up on the wall of the monument.

The monument offers fantastic view out across Stirling and the surrounding countryside. Although it's hard work getting to the summit, the crown, and you may have to struggle through the many people making their way down...it is well worth the work getting there.

Belle Isle, Lake Windermere

Belle Isle
Lake Windermere
Bowness on Windermere
Cumbria

Belle Isle is the largest of Windermere's islands, and lays just to the South of Windermere and Bowness on Windermere. The island is about a mile long, and was previously known as Great Isle. It was bought for Isabella Curwen in about 1771, by her cousin John Christian. They later marries and John renamed the island Belle Isle after his wife. The island is thought to have been the site of a Roman villa, possibly connected with the Roman fort at Ambleside. Remains were found in 1774 during the building of a house, and from the descriptions given of the finds, it's possible that they indicated the site of a Roman villa.

The island's presence on this website is due to the fact that it is believed that it may have been regarded as a Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War, when it was owned by the Phillipson family.

The island is said to have been the subject of a short siege during the civil war, when it was attacked by a small Parliamentarian force lead by Colonel Briggs. His cousin Major Robert Phillipson is thought to have lightly fortified the island at this point, and although Colonel Briggs brought cannon fire on the island, probably from Cockshott Point to the South, the siege was lifted after about eight days(so we are told) by Robert's brother Colonel Huddleston Phillipson.

Above. Bell Isle from Cockshott Point.

Above. A landward view of Cockshott Point.

The legend attached to this event, tells us that Robert, who we now know as Robin the Devil, angry and humiliated by the attack on his home, rode to Kendal and its Parish church by the river, together with a small troop of soldiers, with the intention of 'doing great harm' to Colonel Briggs. He rode into the church, and tried to attack Colonel Briggs, but was, we are told, beaten back by the church congregation. In his haste to save himself, he lost both his helmet and his sword, which are today displayed high on the church walls.

As soon as I can find further information regarding the nature of any fortifications thought to have been built on Belle Isle, I'll post them here.

Watercrook Roman Fort, Kendal

Watercrook Roman Fort\Alauna
Kendal
Cumbria

The Roman fort at Kendal, is both invisible these days, and almost impossible to get to. The buried remains are sited in a loop of the River Kent, to the South of Kendal on farm land adjoined to Watercrook Farm. The fort has been greatly reduced in height and form by years of ploughing and farming, and now consists of a faint almost indistinct square platform in the field. Even aerial photographs show very little of the fort's remain.

Above. A view of the fort looking North West.

The photo above, shows the most obvious remains of the fort. Just beyond the field wall, a dark green part of the field can be seen....this is the West end of the fort platform.

Excavations at the site in the early 1930's and in 1944, discovered the North West gate, and established that the fort was probably built between 90 and 95 AD. It's thought that the original fort was then built in stone between 120 and 130 AD. A drought that hit the area in 1887, gave archaeologists of the time, a great opportunity to plot the outline of the fort when the field was dried out sufficiently for the outlines of walls and ramparts to become visible. Further excavations were undertaken in 1974\75 when further buildings were discovered. It doesn't appear that the full excavation report has ever been published, so information is pretty hard to come by. Apparently the remains of a Roman bath house were visible as late as 1908 on the site of Watercrook Farm. The remains consisted of underground cavities and the tips of arches and the remains of other structures. As far as I'm aware, these remains are no longer in existence.

Above. Roman altar stone from Watercrook Farm.

Above. Another Roman altar stone from Watercrook Farm.

Above. Image in stone housed at Kendal Museum..again from Watercrook Farm.

Above. A stone tablet from Watercrook Farm.

Above. The Satury looking North West towards the Roman fort.

The Satury is a low mound of earth that can be found along the public footpath that runs South of the Roman fort at Watercrook. Local legend\tradition has it that this mound is related in some way to the Roman fort, but in all honesty there doesn't seem to be any archaeological evidence to support this. A document from 1774, tells us "On Sattury was found stones with mortar on them when it was ploughed." What this could possibly indicate though, I'm not sure. Other documents relate to the name, Sattury, as meaning the place of a Roman temple dedicated to the Roman god Saturn...though it's generally agreed now that the name Sattury could come from Old Norse, "saetrhaugr", meaning "the mound of the settlement".

Above. Map of the fort, showing its proximity to the River Kent. 

 Above. Map of the fort, showing the 1974 excavations.

Above. A plan of Watercrook Roman Fort, showing buildings and streets.

The fort, as mentioned above, is not accessible to the public, and though the field can be viewed from across the river, there really isn't much to see. As soon as I have more information regarding the items that were recovered from the fort, and that are now displayed in Kendal Museum, I'll post it here.

The Roman Britain web site entry for Watercrook fort.

St John the Baptist, Chester

St John the Baptist
Chester

Situated to the South of the city of Chester, and only a few hundred feet from the North shores of the River Dee, the imposing Norman church of St John the Baptist is to be found, nestled behind the half excavated Roman amphitheatre.

The huge Western tower of the old cathedral of Chester, whilst not built as a defensive structure, was used by Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War against the Royalist garrison confined within the city walls. Initially used as an observation post, the church was almost transformed into a garrison or fortress towards the end of September 1645. Under Colonel Michael Jones and Major James Lothian, the Parliamentarian army overran and captured the Eastern outworks of the city, along with the Eastern suburbs right up to Eastgate. A cannon battery was established in the church yard, possibly with some lighter cannon being stationed on the tower's summit. From here, the Parliamentarian besiegers were able to bring cannon fire not only onto the city walls, but also beyond and into the very city itself. A breach in the walls was finally made on the 22nd of September, near to the Newgate, but it had taken over thirty cannon shots to do the damage. The Royalist defenders however, managed to fend off the assault, blocking the breaches in the wall with anything that came to hand. Charles I arrived on the 23rd with reinforcements to aid the city's defence. His army engaged the Parliamentarian forces the next day (24th September 1645) at Rowton Moor, where it was was soundly defeated. Charles left the city immediately.

The Parliamentarian forces issued a summons for surrender on the 26th of September, but this was rejected. The battery at St Johns was re-enforced, with additional guns brought to bear on the city walls. The battery was used to destroy the defender's cannon on the North walls, and another breach was finally made. The guns at St Johns were used against the Dee Mills, Bridgegate waterworks and the South East corner of the city's walls, causing a great amount of destruction. The tower, in an old print from the early 1800, looks to be around one hundred feet tall, so would have offered the attackers an excellent view into and over the city. A few carefully stationed cannon here would have been well placed to pick and choose their targets within the city. Indeed, the commander of the Royalist defenders gave orders "for the pulling down of St John's steeple, which (in case the enemy should possess the suburbs) would be very prejudicial to the city as overlooking it all, and from whence (in the ensuing siege) was received our greatest annoyance" (thanks to www.chesterwalls.info) How right he was to be concerned. The mayor, upon whom the responsibility for demolition was bestowed, failed to carry out his orders, no doubt under pressure from the towns folk to preserve their parish church. The five month occupation of the church proved most destructive. Some reports state that all the church furniture and all of its memorials were shot up and destroyed and were in a state of desolation when the towns folk took possession of their church again. On the 8th of October, another attempt to storm the city was made, via several more breaches in the walls. After heavy fighting the attack was thwarted.

No more attempts to take the city were made after October 1645. The Parliamentarian forces decided to sit and wait, occasionally engaging the defenders and attempting to persuade them to surrender. Packets of papers were shot over the city walls, encouraging the towns folk to surrender. When this failed, snipers were placed at the church tower's summit. From here they were able to take pot shots at anyone seen in the streets beneath them, and succeeded in shooting and killing Sheriff Randle Richardson. Finally, on the 31st of January the city of Chester surrendered, agreeing terms on the 1st of February.

The tower stood for another two hundred and thirty six years, before finally falling down on Good Friday 1881.

Above. Antique floor plan of the church, showing surviving buildings and ruins and remains. 

Above. 17th century engraving.

See the Cumbrian Churches blog for further information on the church.

Kirkby Hall, Kirkby In Furness

Kirkby Hall\Cross Hall
Kirkby In Furness
Cumbria

Situated on the A595, the small village of Kirkby In Furness sits nearly eight miles North West of Ulverston, looking out over Duddon Sands. The hall shown below, is sited to the North of the village, next to the old railway. The hall seems to have been the subject of much debate regarding its defensive credentials....with some historians hinting that there may have been an earlier building on the site, possibly a pele tower or other defensive tower, or that the existing hall and its buildings, contain the remains of a pele tower or other defensive tower.

The building seems to contain the remains of two halls. The first hall contains a newel in the South Eastern corner, possibly indicating that there was a tower here....possibly the remains of our original pele tower. The second hall, to the East of the building, contains a very thick North Western wall, also possibly the remains of an earlier, defensive (?) tower. The East wing dates from about 1450, whilst the West wing dates from around 1530. The photo above, shows the South Eastern face of the hall. The newel lays beneath the middle of the three largest chimneys, and is probably the oldest part of the hall. The small, roofless building in the foreground, contains a number of bee boles in its South Eastern external wall. The West wing of the hall, contains the chapel, which was accessed through a wooden trap-door in the dairy passage. This small room still retains its wall paintings in ochre and black, depicting trees, animals and the ten commandments. The hall was originally called Cross Hall....a name it gained due to a preaching cross that was mounted in the South East angel of the courtyard.

The earliest building here was the home to the Kirkby family....dating from sometime in the 12th century. It is unlikely that anything remains of the original buildings. The Kirkbys were an influential land owning family from the 12th century right through to the 18th century. John Kirkby (born around 1204) was a judge on the King's bench, as well as Baron of the Exchequer. Richard Kirkby (born 1624) was Governor of Chester Castle. The Kirkby family were also Sheriffs of Lancashire and Justices of the Peace. The family's downfall was as a result of their support for Charles I during the Civil War. It's unusual that they managed to retain most of their lands....especially when considering the example of the Phillipson family of Kendal who lost both property and personal possessions for their Royalist sympathies!! The hall finally passed from the Kirkby family in 1719, into the hands of the Cavendish family, who in turn held the hall until 1771. Not easily accessible, but can be viewed from nearby common land.

Many thanks to Nick Cornah for the photo. Check the link for some great photos of the hall:

Mote of Annan, Annan

Mote of Annan
Annan
Dumfries and Galloway
Scotland

Laying some 18 miles to the North West of Carlisle, and situated a few yards off the A75, Annan possesses the earthwork remains of what was the original seat of the de Brus, or Bruce family. The badly eroded motte and bailey castle is situated just off the aptly named Bruce Street, on the East banks of the River Annan, and is, sorry to say, a shadow of its former royal self. The River Annan has completely removed the Western half of the motte, turning it into a narrow ridge....much the same as at Tebay.

The photo above, shows the motte looking North. The river is on the left of the photo. The ditch surrounding the motte can still be seen.

The motte now stands to around fifty feet high, and, due to the damage caused by the River Annan over the years, the once round motte, is now around fifty feet by twenty feet at the summit. A broad ditch that separated the motte from the bailey, can still be seen, stretching some 270 feet to the South, and about three feet deep. The motte and the bailey were also probably surrounded by a deep ditch, but these have long since been destroyed by the river, and a certain amount of landscaping that has taken place here.

The photo above, shows the base of the motte looking North, from within the ditch.

The castle is believed to have been built during the early 12th century, by the de Brus (Bruce) family. It seems that it was occupied for a very short period of time, as by 1166 it is thought to have been abandoned in favour of more comfortable and dry accommodation at Lochmaben Old Castle. Because of Annan's connection with the Royal Bruce's, the town became a Royal Burgh, and as a result of its importance, and its position so close to the border with England....especially being only 18 miles from Carlisle, it was frequently attacked, occupied and used by the English in their campaigns against the Scots. After the motte was abandoned, it seems that the church became the strongest and most defensible building in Annan, being used by Edward I in 1299, for safely and securely storing arms and supplies. The church was destroyed in 1547 by Henry VIII's army, forcing the towns folk to build a new fortified tower, surrounded by ditches and wooden palisades. This fortification was built by Lord Herries in the early 1560's, and was reputedly large enough to hold a garrison of one hundred men with fifty horses. It was destroyed in an English attack in 1570, but rebuilt again in 1579 by Lord Maxwell. Unfortunately nothing now remains of this later fortification.

The motte and its grounds are open during daylight hours.

Many thanks to Neil MacInnes for the photos.

Helsington Laithes, Nr Kendal

Helsington Laithes
Nr Kendal
Cumbria

The very ancient house of Helsington Laithes lays at the junction of the A6 and the A591 just South West of Kendal. During the Winter months, the stark white house can be seen clearly from the road travelling North into Kendal on the A6, but is hidden by trees during the Spring and Summer months. The manor of Helsington and the house have, in their long history, been home to local families the Helsingtons, the Stricklands, the de Thwengs and the Bellinghams....all land owning families in the surrounding areas. The earliest parts of the house date from the 15th century, this portion once housing the dairy and scullery. It is this part of the building that possibly represents the remains of a solar tower, long since changed, rebuilt and remodelled over the years.

This part of Helsington is situated beyond the wing shown in the photo below, to the East of the site. It is a three storeyed wing with a gabled roof, measuring some eight by six metres over walls some 1.3 metres thick. The West walls of this wing however, are a massive 2.4 metres thick.....somewhat thicker than most simple domestic houses of this era. The Northern wall of this wing is slightly thinner than the West, South and East walls, possibly indicating that it was once an internal wall, and that part of the building was demolished at some point.

The photo, above, shows the 16th century cross wing looking from the East.

The rest of the site consists of a 16th century kitchen block to the East of the early part of the building, together with a 16th century hall further to the East, and the 16th century cross wing shown above. There are also 18th century additions to the North and the South...not shown here.

Above. The West wing and the central hall.

It is thought that there was a hall on this site from as early as the 13th century, although it's unlikely that anything survives of this building. Check out the link to the Helsington Laithe's web site for details on renting the property and a brief history.

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The Old Castle, Lindale

The Old Castle\Dixon Heights Tower
Lindale Nr Levens Cumbria

These illusive remains are to be found perched precariously at the summit of Eller How, high above the A590, some six miles West of Levens. The larger area is known as Newton Fell...an area of South Lakeland that gives its name to two hamlets less than a mile apart...High and Low Newton. The heights are also known as Dixon Heights, with a right of way passing a few yards to the West of the tower's now sorry remains. According to the Cumbria Action Group, the ruins can be attributed to George Webster of Kendal, the town's famous architect and marble cutter, who owned land at Eller How a few hundred feet below Dixon Heights. He built the house at Eller How in 1827, so it's likely that the folly was built soon after this, probably as a summer house or a 'quiet' retreat. From here, the Webster family would have had excellent and unspoilt views across to Witherslack to the North East, Grange to the South and Hampsfell to the South West. The ruins are not linked in any historical way to the area a few hundred yards to the North, shown on maps dated 1851, as The Old Castle, but it may have been on George's mind to build the folly here, on or near the site of the Old Castle....whatever that name may have once applied to. Interestingly....also shown on this map, to the North of the Summer House, there is another site, clearly labelled as Tower. Obviously some more research of this whole area is needed, including a field visit....to take some more photos and to take a good look at the remains of the tower.

Philip Davis rejects this as a fortification, and I wholeheartedly agree with him. All documentation (what little there is) point to these ruins being the remains of a summer house or folly. The area to the North of the tower (Dixon Heights) is still called the Bishop's Tithe Allotments on ordnance survey maps. More research is needed to find out what this area referred to, although my best guess is that it was connected with nearby Cartmel Priory in some way....possibly Furness abbey even!!

I think the next step is to visit the ruins here at High Newton, and to confirm the type of building that can just be seen from the nearby main road. There are a couple of photos of the ruins here....but they don't really tell us much.

Chester Cathedral Gatehouse, Chester

Chester Cathedral Gatehouse
Chester
Cheshire

The imposing gatehouse at Chester Cathedral is a stunning building situated on Northgate and facing directly down Princess Street. The gatehouse is Grade I listed, and probably dates from the 1300's, when it was the secure entrance into the precincts of St Werbergh's Abbey. The photo below shows the main vehicular archway, with the smaller pedestrian archway to the right hand side. On each side of the entrance on the external wall, are two blind niches, possibly originally containing statues of saints. The upper part of the building dates from around 1800, and is accessible via staircases to the left and right of the road through the gatehouse.

This link shows an engraving of the gatehouse, showing how it looked in the 1830's. The only difference really are the buildings and walls either side of the gatehouse. A licence to crenellate was granted in 1377, the wording of which reads as follows "Licence for the abbot and convent of St. Werburgh's, Chester, to crenellate their abbey. (abbatiam)" (with thanks to Philip Davis)

The photo above, shows the gatehouse from within the precincts of the abbey grounds. There is no pedestrian archway at this side of the gatehouse....only a larger archway through which all traffic passed. The small arched doorway to the left of the arch houses a stairway that leads to the upper floors of the gatehouse.

Bridge Gate, Chester

Bridgegate
Lower Bridge Street
Chester
Cheshire

The last of the gates at Chester that was missing from my collection, Bridgegate, is situated at the Southern end of the city, at the end of Lower Bridge Street. The road here leads straight onto the old medieval Handbridge over the River Dee. Designed by Joseph Turner, and opened in 1782, the Bridgegate replaced a long line of gatehouses and buildings on this site.

It is thought that the original, defensive gatehouse on or very near to this site, was already in existence by the 1120's, as the post of Office Sergeant was recorded at this time. It was, at this time, known as the Welshgate, as all traffic from Wales had to pass through this gate to enter the city. The gatehouse, in whatever form it took, was replaced or rebuilt in the 14th century, at the same time that the bridge was rebuilt, to enable traders to enter the city. By the end of the 15th century, the gate consisted of a single Gothic arch with a tower at each side. In 1600, a square tower was added, called John Tyrer's Water Tower, which housed machinery for taking water from the River Dee and lifting it into the city. This building was destroyed when Parliamentarian forces laid siege to the city. The present gate way, is similar to the other 18th and 19th century gates into the city of Chester.

The Flag Tower, Chester Castle, Chester

The Flag Tower
Chester Castle
Chester
Cheshire

The Flag Tower is situated behind the Western wall of the Inner Ward...hidden from view when walking the walls of the city of Chester. The photo below shows a view of the inside of the wall, with a gun port visible to the left of the tower. The Flag Tower can be seen with a rectangular door or opening, and an arched door or opening. Its flat roof is level with the top of the wall.

It is thought that the Flag Tower may have been one of the original parts of the Norman tower, and would have stood at the summit of the motte, almost in the centre, possibly surrounded by a wooden palisade. When the palisade, along with most of the wooden defences at the castle, was replaced with stone walls, the wall was built in line with the Western wall of the Flag Tower making it invisible externally. The tower would originally have been much taller, but the top floors have been removed at some point in the past, possibly when the castle was turned into an artillery fort.

The photo above shows a view of the castle's wall looking from Castle Drive. The Flag tower has been reduced in height so that it is indistinguishable from the castle wall from the exterior. The colour portion of the photo shows where the tower is.

Agricola Tower, Chester Castle, Chester

Agricola Tower
Chester Castle
Chester
Cheshire

I've at last managed to bag some photos of the last parts of Chester's fortifications that I wasn't able to photograph on my visit to Chester in 2008. These last three sets of photos are of the Agricola Tower at Chester Castle, shown below, the Cathedral gatehouse and the Bridge Gate. The Agricola Tower lays at the Eastern side of the castle. The inner ward, to the South East and West of the tower is still walled, but these walls were mostly rebuilt and\or refaced during the 18th and 19th centuries. There were originally three towers built within the inner ward, overlooking the wall...but these have long since been demolished. These three square towers would have been accompanied by a round bastion and a twin towered gatehouse. The Agricola tower is the sole surviving tower here, measuring some nine metres square and three storeys tall.

It is thought that the huge archway in the South West face of the tower, shown above, was once either the inner arch of a former gatehouse, or the chancel arch of a chapel. The chapel would have been housed within the tower, whilst the nave would have possibly been a timber framed building, extending to the South West. The tower may have been built sometime during the 12th century, judging by the 'clasping' buttresses, but on the whole the tower has a 13th or 14th century look about it. The tower contains a rib vaulted floor to the first floor, probably inserted after a fire in 1302 seriously damaged the building. The southern buttress contains a spiral staircase providing access to the other floors within the tower. The middle storey contains the chapel of St Mary de Castro with an altar recess built into the North East wall. The halls and chambers shown on early maps and plans of the Inner ward have all been demolished and replaced with other buildings. Wall paintings were discovered in the chapel, possibly dating from the 1220's, when the white washed walls were 're-decorated' in the 1980s....demonstrating the age of the tower.

These days, the tower appears to be out of bounds. One of the gentlemen manning the gates told me that the inner ward area of the castle had become a haunt for local drug users and homeless people, and was therefore kept locked and inaccessible. He was kind enough to give me five minutes to take some photos to add the collection though. The tower is only just visible from the river side, and only if the trees are not in full leaf....from other angles it is all but invisible...so these are welcome additions to the Chester collection.

Austwick Hall, Nr Settle

Austwick Hall
Austwick
Nr Settle
North Yorkshire

Austwick lays about seven miles North West of Settle, just off the A65 (about ten miles South East of Ingleton) Austwick appears in the Domesday book, mentioned as Oustewic, but appears in records predating the Norman account of England as Austwick held by the Saxon Lord, Torfin, who also held lands encompassing Warton near Carnforth and Claughton, home of the modern day brick works. The lands around Austwick came into the possession of the Lancaster family, who held castles at Kendal and at Mourholme (near Borwick) The Grade II listed hall at Austwick is situated at the head of the village, and is reputed to have begun life as a pele tower, built sometime in the 16th century. Check the Images of England web site for some more information.

The Hall is built on an L plan, with the hall to the North East of the site, and the alleged tower to the South West (the left of the above photo) The Austwick Hall web site tells us that the tower was originally built in 1180....but the present day building definitely only dates from the 16th century...at the earliest. There may well have been a hall or manor house on this site...but what we see today is not it. We are also told that the only remains of the pele tower are the six foot thick walls separating the entrance hall and the drawing room...a situation present in many other pele towers and tower houses throughout the county. It is a beautiful house, but as far as its history as a defensive tower is concerned, there is little evidence.

This is the hall's official web site.

Lawkland Hall, Lawkland nr Settle

Lawkland Hall
Lawkland
Nr Settle
North Yorkshire

Lawkland Hall was a revelation...I had no idea such a huge and beautiful country house was hidden away so close to Settle. This is a Grade I listed building, and although the photos here don't really do it justice, the grading is well deserved. Lawkland is a loose collection of houses and farms situated on Graystonber Lane....an old road that pre-dates the A65, running from the South of Austwick into Giggleswick some eight miles to the South East. The hall possesses huge ornamental gardens, set about the grounds to the rear (South) of the property.

Above. Detail of an old postcard showing the front facade of the hall close up.

The above photo shows a view of the hall from the road, looking directly South. There is a central hall block, with two towers either side. The left one can be seen in this photo, and the right hand one can be seen in the last photo on this posting. The tower shown above, and the central hall block, are thought to date from the late 16th or early 17th century, indeed there is a date stone in the hall showing a date of 1679. Check the link out for a photo.

The hall and the early tower, were built by Peter York of Middlesmoor. He was the Governor of Lieth in Scotland during the reign of Edward VI (reigned 1547 to 1553) Peter York married the daughter of Sir William Ingleby of Ripley Castle....and the manor of Lawkland and its associated lands were eventually sold to John Ingleby of Ripley. This is thought to have taken place some time around 1572, at which time it is thought there was probably a hall house of some description here at Lawkland. Whether there was a defensive tower on the site isn't known. The Ingleby family gradually began to buy up land and properties in the surrounding villages, adding land in Clapham to their property portfolio, including the manor house at Clapdale, described as "a great old castle joyning on Clapham ". This building....castle or not....features heavily in local history and legend. The Ingleby family are also connected with Austwick Hall, reputedly using this property as the manorial centre for Austwick and the surrounding farm lands. The Ingleby family were of the Catholic faith and so kept a low profile...possibly the reason that there is so little information regarding the family. The hall at Lawkland is alleged to have a priest hole, hidden within the line of chimneys visible on the last photo of this post. By the mid 1600's, the Ingleby family were spread across three manor houses....at Austwick, at Lawkland and at Clapdale Castle. Some research needs to be done on where Clapdale Castle was....and if there are any remains left.

The hall at Lawkland was rebuilt in 1679....the works being described as a "thorough rebuilding" so it's safe to assume that many changes were wrought on the fabric of the hall. At this time, continuing through the 1700's, the hall became the centre for Catholic worship, providing a safe haven for 'Papist's' especially with the construction of a second floor chapel. The Inglebys continued to own the hall right throughout the 1700's, rebuilding and adding onto the hall and providing us with the 'mish-mash' of building stlyes that we see today. In 1846, the Ingleby family relinquished their hold over Lawkland Hall, with the death of Margaret Ingleby. The Fosters occupied the hall from this point on, until it passed to the Watkins, possibly after the death of John William Foster. In 1914, the hall passed into the hands of John Ambler, a cloth manufacturer from Bradford. In 1937, the Amblers rented the hall to James Southworth who bought the hall and the surrounding lands in 1939 for £8500. His money brought him Lawkland Hall, Lawkland Hall Farm (a few hundred yards up the road)and Lawkland Green which consisted of 225 acres. By the 1950's the hall had once again been sold, this time to the Bowring family, who still reside at the hall.

Whether the hall contains the remains of some sort of light fortification, or is built on the site of an earlier fortified building is extremely difficult to tell....the building is of so many different periods, each with their own characteristics that it is almost impossible to pick through the melee of towers and wings. If any further information comes to light regarding Lawkland Hall's possible fortified history, it will be posted here.

Images of England details.

Historic Houses Association

Stokesay Castle, Stokesay

Stokesay Castle
Craven Arms
Shropshire

The very picturesque castle at Stokesay lays in the village of Craven Arms, on the A49 11 miles to the North of Ludlow, and about 15 miles South of Church Stretton in Shropshire. The castle consists of a large tower at the North of the site, with a projecting central section and timber built gallery, a large banqueting hall built along the Western side of the castle's wall, a Tower built at the Southern end of the West wall, an open courtyard, a now dry moat and a fine, well preserved gatehouse, timber built and not of any great defensive qualities.

The above photo, shows the Great Hall\banqueting hall from outside the castle's walls. The hall is around fifty feet long, and sits between the castle's two towers. The hall possesses an unusual open fire hearth in the centre of the huge room, instead of the normal fire place in the wall. It seems that there was never a vent in the castle's roof for the smoke to disperse through...the blackened roof timbers bear witness to this. A small part of the hall, at the South end, by Lawrence de Ludlow, as a private 'withdrawing chamber' with squints in the walls through which he could spy on his guests.

The photo above, shows the North tower with it's well preserved timber gallery. The tower possibly dates from the 1140's, making it most likely the oldest structure surviving today. The five sided tower overlooks the yard of the church of St John the Baptist...the moat can just be seen, laying beyond the fence posts. These days the moat has been infilled, and serves as a walk around the outside of the castle walls.

The photo above, shows the castle viewed from the East. The South tower can be seen to the left of the photo, and the gatehouse can be seen in the foreground to the right. The North tower can just be seen to the right of the gate house. The South tower, probably dating from 1291, was built by Lawrence de Ludlow, and was erected after he gained a license to crenellate on October the 19th, 1291. The exact wording of the licence is: "to strengthen with a wall of lime and stone, and crenellate his mansion [mansum] at Stoke-say". (thanks to Philip Davis) The tower represents the heaviest defences here at Stokesay, with its thick walls and multi faceted exterior....affording the occupiers of the castle good views to the South West, the South and the South East. The curtain wall was built as a result of the license, but only one portion still stands to the original height, between the South tower and the Great Hall. The rest of the wall has been much reduced in height, and now resembles a simple field wall.

The gatehouse, along with the jettied portion of the North Tower, is one of the most recognisable features of Stokesay Castle, with its yellow plaster work and dark timbers. As far as defensible\impregnable gatehouses go, this 16th century building would not stand up to any form of attack....so it's most likely that it was built as a status symbol\prestige building by the then owners, the Baldwyn family. It's thought that this building replaced an earlier, possibly more defensive gatehouse. The Baldwyn's were in possession of Stokesay castle during the Civil war, and in 1645, when nearby Shrewsbury fell to Cromwell's Parliamentarian forces, the defenders at Stokesay didn't take long to decide to surrender to his forces after a very short siege. The order was given for the castle to be slighted...but the orders were only carried out on the curtain wall, which was reduced in height two years later. The castle remained inhabited for the rest of the 1600's, until it was finally deserted in around 1706. It was used by local farmers for storing grain for the next 150 years or so.

Sometime in the early 19th century, the 13th century buildings were recognised for their architectural and historical importance. The castle was purchased by John Darby Allcroft in 1869, and he immediately set about restoring the buildings. The castle was opened to the public by the Allcroft family in 1908, and ran it as a tourist attraction until 1992 when it passed into the care of English Heritage, who run the castle now.

The following link takes you to some fantastic photos of the castle.
Castle Wales Web Site


The following link takes you to an excellent plan of the castle.
Wikipedia plan


Photos courtesy of Martin Russell

Caerlaverock Castle Gatehouse, Caerlaverock

Caerlaverock Gatehouse
Caerlaverock Castle
Nr Dumfries
Dumfries and Galloway
Scotland

I forgot that I had photos of the gatehouse at Caerlaverock castle....so here they are. The remains of the North East entrance fortification can be found at the head of a rectangular courtyard, surrounded by the remains of ditches and banks...now much worn. The photo below, appears to show machicolations at the top of the gatehouse, although it's likely that the remains only represent a tiny portion of the original building.

The walls are probably around four foot thick, and as shown in the photo below, contain two large draw bar tunnels. I wonder if there would have been a smaller door, set within the main door....if you look at the top larger draw bar tunnel....there is a smaller one, possibly for allowing visitors on foot, entrance to the courtyard. A single hinge now survives, still embedded within the stone work.

Any sources I checked when researching these remains, neglected to date the gatehouse....though when I visited back in August, the greeter at the castle stated that he thought the gatehouse probably dates from the 17th century.

Excavations in 2000, uncovered the footings of a large number of buildings with cobbled pathways between them. The lack of any roof tiles or roof materials, seems to suggest that these cobbled enclosures may have been for safe-guarding life stock. The bank was found to have red sandstone footings on its top surface, indicating that it would one have been substantially higher than it is today. The gatehouse doesn't get much attention from visitors, and it's fairly difficult to find any information regarding its builder or any information that would enable me to date it.

Craignish Castle, Loch Beag

Craighnish Castle
Loch Beag
Argyll and Bute
Scotland

This very well hidden tower house sits at the head of Loch Beag, about five miles East of the Northern tip of the isle of Jura. Built on private land, and hidden from prying eyes by a screen of trees from the loch, it would appear that this is a very difficult tower to photograph properly.

Craignish Castle was originally the home of the Campbell's of Craignish, and for many years was also the home to the Lairds of Craignish. Dugall Maul Campbell, was the first Laird, and it was his descendants that built the castle here. During the early 1500's, the castle was in the hands of Ranald MacCallum....the hereditary keeper of the castle. The site is thought to have been home to a castle from as early as the 12th century, but the castle seen here today probably only dates from sometime during the 16th century. It started out as a simple keep, measuring some 50 by 32 feet over walls nearly seven and a half feet thick. The tower has since been absorbed into a modern mansion house, built sometime around 1832. It is built on a rocky outcrop, possesses a vaulted ground floor and has a dungeon, hewn from the bedrock beneath it.  This link shows a great photo of the mansion with the tower house built into it. These days, the closest you can get to see the castle, seems to be from the waters of the loch.