Burneside Hall, Burneside Nr Kendal

Burneside Hall

Burneside

Near Kendal

Cumbria

I first visited Burneside Hall in April of 2005...in fact, it was the first pele tower I'd ever seen and it was probably the building that set me off on this quest to photograph all of Cumbria's towers and castles. So it came as a great surprise when I realised that I had no photos on the blog, and no information about this wonderful old tower.

Burneside lies around two and a half miles North of Kendal. The hall and tower of Burneside sit to the North West of the village, and consist of the 14th century ruins of a large pele tower and hall attached to the East of the tower.

Above. Burneside Hall from Scout Scar (I think!)

Machell's antiquary sketches of Burneside Hall show a three storeyed tower with an embattled roof line. These days it is in ruins, to such an extent that in 2011 it made English Heritage's 'At Risk' register. The tower measures around 13 by 9 metres. The gable walls probably stand to their original height, as does the South wall which borders the hall, whilst the front, or North wall, has largely collapsed down to first floor level.

Above. Plan of the tower and surrounding enclosures, walls and gatehouse.

Above. View of the hall showing the ornamental pond and mound on which the tower stands.

Above. Close up of the tower.

The lower parts of the North wall are formed out of the walls of a former enclosure that is thought to pre-date the tower. Several reports produced regarding the tower here at Burneside make mention of this much older feature, suggesting that the site is much older than the 14th century tower. The difference in building materials can clearly be seen in the photo above.

Above. Early sketch of Burneside hall and its attendant buildings.

The enclose, which lies to the North of the tower, was first recognised in the 1936 RCHM survey. It measured some 11 metres square with walls around a metre thick. It stands in places, to around one and a half metres high, and is pretty much complete.

Above. The well preserved gatehouse.

The gatehouse lies to the West of the tower, and was most likely built in the 16th century, and possibly is contemporary with the remodelling of the hall. The original doors, made of oak, appear to still be in situ, although now not mounted on their hinges. It is thought that the gatehouse has, at some point, been reduced in size, as foundations are visible in the grass to the South of its walls. Whether this was due to collapse or deliberate rebuilding is not known. 

Above. The gatehouse from outside the barmkyn wall.

 To the North of the gatehouse, an 8 metre stretch of barmkyn or curtain wall can still be seen. This apparently still retains a rough parapet walk. This tiny stretch of wall can be seen to the left of the gatehouse in the photo above. 

Above. The tower with the hall to the rear.

There are numerous foundation marks running along the length of the wall near to the gatehouse, and Machell's sketches show a number of buildings built against the inside of the wall. There is also evidence of fishponds and other unidentified earthworks to the West and South of the tower.

Great views of the tower can be had from Hall road, though parking is very tricky owing to the narrow roads.

Below. A small selection of old postcards and prints of Burneside Hall.

Eileen Donan Castle, Near Dornie

Eileen Donan Castle

Near Dornie

Kyle of Lochalsh

Eileen Donan Castle was renstored between 1919 and 1932 by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap, who was responsible for the construction of the arched bridge joining the small island of Eileen Donan to the mainland. The island was home to a fort dating to well before the 13th century. During the late 1200s a curtain walled castle was built, probably marking the boundary of the Lordship of the Isles and the Earldom of Ross. It may have been used to prevent or provide early warning for Norse incursions into Scotland. 

Above. Eileen Donan Castle from the South.

The Mackenzies held the island in the late 1200s (the Earls of Ross) They built a tower house here, an early attempt at a small scale keep. The MacRaes, protectors of the Mackenzies, took over control of the island and its fortifications in 1511, becoming hereditary constables of the castle.

Above. Eileen Donan Castle from the West.

Following the failure of the 1715 Jacbobite rebellion, James Stuart sought Spanish support, resulting the garrisoning of the castle by about 300 Spanish troops. An expected Scottish uprising, and the provision of further troops from Spain never appeared, and it wasn't long before the English navy turned their attention to the castle and its foreign garrison. Three Royal Navy ships, HMS Worcester, HMS Flamborough and HMS Enterprise anchored off the island with the intention of offering a surrender, but when the Spanish troops opened fire they began a destructive bombardment of the castle. A landing party soon captured the island and the castle with very little opposition. Huge amounts of ammunition were found in the castle's vaults, and the Royal Navy spent the next few days destroying the castle and its defences. 

The Eileen Donan web site.

More photos and information at the Undiscovered Scotland web site.

Photos courtesy of John Jefferies.

Low Borrowbridge Roman Fort, 2011

Low Borrowbridge Roman Fort - 2011 archaeological dig

Near Tebay

Cumbria

In July of 2011, the Lunesdale Archaeological Society managed to get permission to commence a dig at the Low Borrowbridge Roman Fort just outside Tebay. I visited on the open day, and managed to get some photos of the site that was excavated just to the South of the fort, and also managed to get some much better photos of the fort without having to furtively sneak around. Check out the older photos and write up of the fort here.

Above. 'Digger' up to her neck in it!

Above. The long slow laborious process of documenting the finds.

Above. And here he is again.

Above. Plan of the fort.

Above. The West gateway from inside the fort.

Above. An inside\outside view of the fort from the top of the earthen bank.

This photo shows the inside of the fort to the left of the bank, and the defensive ditches to the right. I think the stone walling on top of the original Roman defensive bank was probably robbed from any standing walls that were, apparently, still visible prior to the outbreak of World War I. They will probably have been cleared to allow the field to be ploughed and planted for the war effort. I think we can probably forgive the farmer for this!!

Above. A view of the interior of the fort from the North West corner looking South towards Blease Fell.

Above. The gateway in the Western side of the fort.

Here there are still faint earthworks, possibly suggesting the site of two small buildings just either side of the modern gate. The gateposts are standing on top of two huge slabs of stone, possibly contemporary with the fort.

Above. Looking North towards Jeffrey's Mount.

Above. The South West corner of the fort, looking North East with Powson Knott in the background.

The man in the foreground gives a good idea of the height of the surviving external bank upon which the modern field wall is now built. It must be in the region of thirteen feet high. It must therefore have been much higher when it was originally completed, possibly with a wooden palisade on top adding further height and safety.

Above. Looking North whilst standing in the foot of the ditch.

The ditches to the West of the fort, although damaged by the building of the railway, are still around four feet deep. They would have been much deeper originally, and there would most likely have been much deeper when originally dug.

Lindisfarne Priory

Lindisfarne Priory

Holy Island

Northumberland

Described as a 'fortified ecclesiastical' site by the Gatehouse website, the Grade I listed structure consists of a collection of 11th to 14th century buildings.

Above. Looking East across the Ouse towards Lindisfarne Castle.

It's likely that the cloisters were transformed into a fortified courtyard sometime in the 13th century, possibly due to the closeness of the castle to the East. During the 14th century, towers were added and an outer ward built. Also in the 14th century, the Priory church was lightly fortified with the insertion of arrow loops in the West wall, and the inclusion of crenelations.

The priory started out as a Benedictine cell from as early as 634AD, suitably removed from the mainland and accessible only via a causeway at low tide. The Priory was suppressed in 1547 during the English Reformation.

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

Information at England's North East web site.

Photo courtesy of Malcolm Booker

Lindisfarne Castle, Northumberland

Lindisfarne Castle

Northumberland

The tiny castle of Lindisfarne, sits on the top of a rocky outcrop at the South Eastern tip of Holy Island. The outcrop on which the castle is sited is called Beblowe Crag, and provides the buildings with firm foundations. 16th century maps show that there was a beacon on the summit of the crag before the castle was built. It wasn't until 1550 that the fortification was completed. The building materials for the castle were most likely pillaged from the nearby Priory when it was dissolved under Henry VIII's orders. The castle was at the forefront of Anglo Scottish aggression, and in 1542 Henry VIII ordered the site to be fortified against possible Scottish attack. As a result of this Royal order the castle was built, and provided with an impressive array of artillery. 

Above. Lindisfarne Castle from the North.

During the Jacobite uprisings, the castle was briefly held by the Pretender's supporters. When the garrison was removed, the castle briefly found use as a coast guard lookout and tourist attraction during the latter part of the 18th century. In 1901, the castle was bought by Edward Hudson who took it upon himself to refurbish his new acquisition, employing the architectural skills of Sir Edwin Lutyens.  

Photo courtesy of Malcolm Booker.

North of the Tyne's fantastic photos of the castle

The National Trust's page on Lindisfarne Castle

Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland

Dunstanburgh Castle

Northumberland

Above. Dunstanburgh from South.

Photo courtesy of Malcolm Booker.

Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland

Bamburgh Castle

Northumberland

Above. Bamburgh castle from the beach to the East.

Above. Bamburgh Castle from the East.

Above. Modern and older castles together on the beach.

Above. Cricket beneath the West walls.

Photos courtesy of Malcolm Booker.

The Barracks of the First Royal Lancashire Militia, Lancaster

The Barracks of the First Royal Lancashire Militia,
South Road
Lancaster

Situated on South Road in Lancaster, this building has a look of Scottish baronial architecture about it. It is in fact the ex-barracks of the First Royal Lancashire Militia, alternatively used as the armoury and general stores until it was abandoned.

Above. The barracks as seen from South Road.

The barracks were built in 1854 possibly by Edmund Sharpe, and were converted around 1983 into offices. 

Above. The barracks' gatehouse.

The barracks were built after the Militia Reform Act of 1852 was passed, requiring each county to build and maintain secure quarters from which new militia units could be mustered and trained. The First Royal Lancashire Militia eventually moved to Bowerham barracks in 1881, and the building was sold to Storey Brothers who used it as storage for their business. It was later purchased by Lancashire Enterprises in 1983, who converted it to offices. 

Web site for the Lancashire Militia.

Round Hill, Kendal

Round Hill

Kendal

Cumbria

Now this site has been causing some confusion for a number of years now. The Pastscape website sites the 'motte' somewhere between the huge round hill at Birds Park Farm, and the small Woodland Trust managed 'motte' a few hundred yards to the West. Their map is confusing to say the least....check their entry for this site. I've always gone for the more visible of the three options for this alleged motte....and that was originally the huge round hill just to the South of Birds Park Farm on the North Eastern edges of Kendal. However....about a year ago, I found the feature in the field to the North of the Castle Green Hotel.....and was surprised to find so much masonry buried beneath the trees at the summit of the 'motte'. I've come to the conclusion however, that the 'motte' at the Castle Green is nothing more than a Victorian garden feature, most likely built by the Bindloss family when they lived at the Castle Green. The 'motte' at Birds Park Farm is harder to explain...perhaps it is nothing more than a drumlin...though it is very pronounced and doesn't have the normal tear drop shape that a drumlin has.

Above. Aerial view showing the close proximity of the three sites that could represent Round Hill.

The map, above, shows how close these three sites are, and how badly described the site is by both Pastscape and the Archaeology Data Service website. This is the text of the Pastscape website, describing the site "SD 532929 Motte shown on OS 1:25000 First Series as a circular feature with trees on top, now on the perimeter of Castle Park. The area is now administered by the Woodland Trust. (1) Probably a drumlin or a leftover from the railway which is adjacent to it. (2)"

On the map - Top right - Birds Park Farm 'motte'. Top left - Round Hill Wood 'motte'. Bottom - Castle Green 'motte'.

The fact that the area is administered by the Woodland Trust (which was added recently) now points to a new site that I didn't know existed. Just off Sedbergh Drive, at the Northern extremity of Kendal, there is a tiny wooded area, bounded on all sides by housing developments.

Above. The entrance to the wood is through the small gap in the concrete wall to the left of the lamp post.

Above. The summit of the 'motte'

Above. The summit of the 'motte'

Above. The Round Hill of Birds Park Farm. Drumlin or spoil heap?

Above. The Round Hill of Castle Green Hotel. Most likely a Victorian garden feature.

The Woodland Trust's website and details on Round Hill Wood.

Cunswick Hall, Kendal

Cunswick Hall

Nr Kendal

Cumbria

Although Cunswick Hall, along with the fortified tower that was here up until around 1582, was demolished, portions of the gatehouse still survive, together with the Royal arms above the archway. Follow this link for more information on the hall.

Above. The gatehouse and porter's lodge from outside.

The 16th century gatehouse stands together with the porter's lodge, but looks to have been altered. There are the faint remains of a higher archway above the present arch, into which the armorial plate has been inserted.

Above. Close up of the armorial plate above the archway.

The arms are those of the Tudor kings, and look to have been inserted into an old window (the lintel and sill can still be seen) It's impossible to determine the form that the original gatehouse would have taken, but it was probably the only way into the walled courtyard that surrounded the hall and the tower....probably on a par with the towers at Burneside and Preston Patrick.

Martello Towers, Jersey

Martello Towers

Jersey

Another small collection of photos of towers on the island of Jersey has found its way to me....this time courtesy of Simon Park. All of Jersey's towers were built between 1779 and 1837, to provide protection against a feared French invasion. As it was, none of them saw action.

Above. La Rocco Tower.

La Rocco Tower lies off the West coast of Jersey, at the Southern end of St Ouen's Bay. It was the twenty third tower to be built and was the last to be based on the Jersey round tower design. La Rocco was built in 1796 and by all accounts appears to have been a very expensive affair. Funds ran out soon after building was started and the army had to request further funds to finish it. The tower was finally completed between 1798 and 1801. The gun platform at the top of the tower would have been able to house five thirty two pounder guns and would have provided a formidable line of defence had the French decided to attack the coast here. The Germans badly damaged the tower during the Second World War, when it was used for target practice by German artillery from the Jersey main land. La Rocco was finally restored in 1969 following a public appeal for funds.

Above. An as yet unidentified tower. Details to follow!

Above. First Tower.

This tower's name is a bit of misnomer in that it wasn't the first tower to be built on Jersey. It was originally known as St Aubin No 1 but soon became known as First Tower....a name it now shares with the surrounding area. The tower can be found a few miles North West of St Helier. First Tower was built around 1787 and was one of three towers built to provide protection around St Aubin's bay. After the threat of French invasion had gone, it was abandoned before finding various peace-time uses. It was used as a base for a windmill, a water tower for storing water for plants along Victoria Avenue and, more recently, a vent for a sewer pumping station. When it was in active military use, First Tower was manned by about ten men from the Royal Invalid Battalion.

Check this link out for more information about Jersey's towers.

My thanks to Simon Park for providing the photos.

Kendal Race Course, Kendal

Kendal Race Course

Kendal

Cumbria

The remains of Kendal Race Course are to be found to the West of Kendal, at the foot of Scout Scar. There is public access across the middle of the race course, via a public footpath that takes you from Brigsteer Road, across Bradley Field and then to the ridge of Scout Scar. The race course is very easy to see in various places, with the route of the course laid out on top of a raised earth platform that has survived in places. There are also the remains of stone walling, most likely built into the banks on the West side of the race course, to shore up places where race goers could stand and watch the day's events.

Above. View of the entrance to the Race Course at the North East corner.

The one mile race course was created by subscription, with money being raised by wealthy locals. An area to the West of Kendal called Fisher's Plain was selected, as it was in easy reach of the town and provided a good flat plateau on which to create the race course. Before the course was created, Fisher's Plain was popular with locals for taking walks, as it provided great views of Kendal and the Howgill fells beyond.

Above. The North East turn.

The first race meeting was held on the 7th of August 1821, and thereafter meetings were held yearly in the last week of June. The three day meet was held each year until about 1830. The main race held here, was the Kendal Gold Cup, with a first prize of £50....a considerable sum for the day.

Above. The North East turn from the East.

There was no meeting in 1823 because of the Reform Bill crisis, but it was used as the start of the Kendal Steeple Chase. Steeple Chases continued until around 1850, while the yearly races had already ceased to take place in about 1839. At this point, materials from the grand stand were removed and sold off.

Above. Another view of the North East turn.

The race course was used by the Kendal\Westmorland Yeomanry for practice from 1847 for a few years.

Above. The one remaining finish post?

From around 1891, Kendal Race Course Golf Club was established, with a six hole course established over the now disused race course. The golf club moved from here in 1896, to establish a more permanent course elsewhere.

Above. Remains of stonework used to shore up the bank where spectators would have watched the races from.

A few races were held during World War I, but on the whole the course now lay abandoned. Maps dating 1863, 1898 and 1899 still show the race course. Later maps, dated 1914, 1920 and 1938 do not show it at all. The current Ordnance Survey map shows it as a dotted outline in the field.

Above. Looking North on the start finish straight.

The following photo shows what I think may be the remains of one of the race course buildings...however, Tom Clare, in his book Prehistoric Monuments of the Lake District, thinks this may in fact be the site of a prehistoric round cairn. I can't find this particular feature marked on any old maps as a cairn, and therefore feel it is some remnant of the race course.

Above. Rubble remains of a building in the centre of the race course?

Race meets were held here in 1922\23 for trotting races, and the site was briefly revived during the early 1990s, but no further races have been held since then.