Donnington Castle, Berkshire

Donnington Castle

Shaw Cum Donnington

West Berkshire

Built around 1386, Donnington Castle is a much reduced version of its original self. The majority of the remains consist of the twin towered gatehouse, built of flint with stone dressings and the completely ruined and reduced courtyard including the footings of six towers. Surrounding the masonry remains, are earthworks thrown up in 1643 by Colonel John Boys for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. Typically, I only found out about the earthworks after my visit so didn't manage to catch any photos of them. The earthworks can still be seen on aerial photos, but this may be more to do with the fact that their extremeties are now marked out by footpaths. Click this link for an old map showing the castle and its earthwork defences.

Above. View of the gatehouse from within the confines of the courtyard.

The castle was built by Sir Richard Abberbury under a licence to crenellate granted by Richard II. It was later sold to Thomas Chaucer, son of Geoffrey as a home for his daughter Alice. The Chaucers later found themselves on the wrong side of the Tudor monarchy and duly lost the castle and its manor.

Above. View of the gatehouse from outside the ruined courtyard walls.

The castle was reduced to its present state during a Parliamentarian bombardment that lasted from July 1644 until April 1646. During this time the small garrison managed to hold out against the superior artillery by utilising the newly created star shaped defences that Colonel Boys had put in place. Colonel Boys eventually managed to negotiate a surrender which meant that he and his men were able to leave the castle safely. Parliament then decreed that the castle be destroyed to prevent it falling into Royalist hands once again. Only the gatehouse was allowed to remain standing.

Above. The gatehouse from the foot of the hill.

Above. The vaulted chamber in the gatehouse.

Above. One of the courtyard towers, with remains of a staircase.

Above. A stretch of the courtyard wall with a square tower in the foreground.

Above. An exterior view of the footings of one of the square towers.

Above. And the same tower from another anlge.

There is a small car park at the foot of the hill and access is fairly easy.

The Castle Facts website has some further information on Donnington Castle.

Brougham Hall, new photos

Brougham Hall

New photos

Above. The gatehouse from within the courtyard.

Above. Closer view of the interior of the gatehouse.

Above. The vaulted interior of the 17th century gatehouse.

Above. An original door?

Above. The bricked up draw bar tunnel.

Above. The opposite side, with its intact draw bar tunnel.

Above. View of the gatehouse door.

Above. Possible hinge hole in the walls of the gatehouse.

Brougham Castle, New photos

Brougham Castle

New photos

Lancaster Castle, August 2012 visit

Lancaster Castle

Lancaster

Lancashire

August 2012 courtyard visit

Above. Finally....the John of Gaunt gatehouse unimpeded by any parked cars.

Above. The porcullis.

Above. The portcullis groove, and the remains of an inward facing arrow loop.

Above. The other side of the portcullis groove, and the more complete arrow loop.

Above. Murder holes ? I'm not so sure.

Above. The keep from the courtyard. First view of this building from this angle, ever on the internet? Who knows?

Above. Skyward view of the keep.

Above. The base of the keep wall with 19th century steps.

Above. The keep from the tiny walled courtyard.

Above. And another view.

Above. The debtors apartments from within the courtyard.

Above. The women's wing from within the courtyard.

Above. Another view of the debtor's apartments.

Above. Bricked up doorway on the witch's tower, that probably once led onto the wall walk.

Above. The witch's tower from within the courtyard.

Old Buittle Castle, Near Dalbeattie

Old Buittle Castle

Near Dalbeattie

Dumfries and Galloway

I didn't even realise that I had a photo of the original Buittle castle....home to the Lords Galloway in the 12th and 13th centuries. Well here it is....a distant shot, but the masonry remains of part of the castle can just be seen amongst the trees. The more modern Old Buittle Tower is out of shot to the right of the ruins.

There are some great photos of the remains here, at the Castle UK website.

Above. Plan of Old Buittle Castle, from The Motes, Forts and Doons of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, by Frederick R. Coles

Voreda Roman fort, Near Penrith

Voreda Roman fort

Near Penrith

Cumbria

The Roman fort of Voreda is situated about 5 miles North of Penrith, on the A6 next to Castlesteads farm. It is easily visible from the road. Also known as Old Penrith and Plumpton Wall, this is a large rectangular platform, measuring some 140 by 85 metres with the central platform still standing to a height of around two and a half metres. Excavations around the area uncovered an extensive Vicus, or civil settlement that would have built up around the fort, uncovering finds such as inscribed stones, querns, coins, pottery and extensive evidence of occupation.

The fort was probably inhabited between the 1^st and 4^th centuries and is so well preserved that some aerial photos have shown the foundations of buildings. The Vicus however is no longer discernable either from the air or on the ground. The fort is built on the Roman road that stretches between Carlisle (Luguvalium) Kirby Thore (Bravoniacum) and Brough (Verteris) Some stretches of the old Roman road can still be see, albeit very very faintly, in fields next to the modern A6.

The Roman Britain web site (Roman Britain) states that the fort was most likely built by The Second Cohort of Gauls, who were stationed in Britain for the whole of the Roman rule of the islands. The area is home to a number of temporary marching camps and fortlets, some still visible. About two and a half miles to the South, the earthwork remains of a tiny fort can just about be made out in the field to the East of the A6.

Though there is no parking at this point on the A6, the road is wide enough to a quick stop off to view the remains of the fort from the roadside.

Hesket Roman fortlet, Near Penrith

Hartsop Hall, Kirkstone Pass, Cumbria

Hartsop Hall

Kirkstone Pass

Cumbria

Nestled at the foot of Deepdale Common and Hartsop Dodd, just to the South of Brothers Water, Harsop Hall represents a good example of a large Lakeland house. Perriam and Robinson in their fine book, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria, hint at the possibility that this may have been a fortified dwelling, possibly including a tower of some sort, but there certainly doesn't appear to be any real solid evidence to support this.

 

The house was built sometime in the late 16th century, originally with a wing facing Brothers Water, and then in the 17th century, a West wing was added, with an 18th century wing built later.

The hall was originally the possession of the de Lancaster family, later passing to the Lowther estates. Curwen, writing in 1922, stated that the hall was "the former residence of the Bartons of Ormside. It is a little old building say of the 15th century consisting of two blocks at right angles to one another. There is nothing remaining of any note about it." I personally don't think he could have got this more wrong.

The hall can easily be viewed when walking along the West banks of Brothers Water.

Levens Hall, panoramic views of the hall

Levens Hall

Near Kendal

Cumbria

Above. View of the hall from the topiary gardens.

Above. Classic view of the hall with the pele tower the second bay from the right.

Above. The late 17th\early 18th century South range.

Above. Another view of the South range from the gardens.

The Penny Alms Houses, Lancaster

The Penny Alms Houses,

Lancaster,

Lancashire

A perfect example of 18th century alms houses, this example was erected in 1720, altered during the early 20th century, and restored to near perfect condition in 1974. The alms houses and the small chapel at the rear of the yard are surrounded by a rubble boundary wall. The whole consists of two ranges of six houses forming a narrow courtyard with a chapel at the West end.

The alms houses were funded and built by William Penny, who was at various times a Lancaster town council member and three times city mayor. When King Street was widened in the early part of the 20th century, two of the alms houses nearest the road were demolished, the chapel was shortened and two new alms houses were built nearer the chapel.