Location : Kendal / Sedbergh / Arnside / Grange-over-Sands / Levens
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 458770
Throughout the history of the British Isles, the North West of the country has been a fortified and much disputed area.
The Romans used the North West areas as staging points for mustering their forces for incursions into Scotland, and as a fortified frontier in the North, and defence frontier for the more peaceable South. Hadrian’s Wall served both these purposes, defensive and offensive.
In the 5th century, the Romans left Cumbria and the British Isles to their own devices, allowing Saxon invaders to move into the power vacuum. The Celts were therefore driven from their traditional lands and into the highlands and mountainous areas of both Northern England and Scotland.
Between the 7th and the 10th centuries, the border between England and Scotland moved north and south, as successive armies from both sides of the borders claimed, and then lost land. Cumbria became Scottish, and then was reclaimed by the English on a number of occasions, resulting in battle weary populations who found themselves caught in the cross fire. These cross border disputes continued right into the 14th century, when many rich land owners, barons, lords and wealthy citizens, fortified their houses against attack from both the Scottish raiders, and the royal armies of the English kings.
It was during this time, that Cumbria became almost a separate entity from the rest of the country - neither English, nor Scottish - rather a political pawn played by both sides. Whilst the rest of the British Isles took advantage of the civil administration that governed the country, Cumbria wallowed in a military limbo, unable to take advantage of economic and cultural developments of the time. It wasn’t until the union of the crowns of England and Scotland in 1603, that the need for fortified dwellings declined, and the minute number of defensive sites built after this time is testament to the changing fortunes of the county of Cumbria.
The defensive sites contained within Cumbria (South Lakeland, Eden, Allerdale et al) are therefore numerous, consisting of peel towers, tower houses, fortified halls, fortified houses and a wide range of bastles, castles and fortified villages. These dwellings number in their hundreds, and are spread across a wide area. They come in all shapes and sizes, and most, if not all, would have been capable of withstanding small scale sieges or attacks by pillaging Scots and the English. Some of these sites are easily identifiable as defensive structures, for example, the towers at Arnside, Wraysholme, Hazelslack and Burneside to mention but a few. Others are harder to identify as they’ve been changed so much over the years, or have been included in working farms. For example, Hollin Hall Pele tower near Crook, Collin Field fortified house in Kendal, Helsfell fortified House near Kendal, Nether Hall near Witherslack and Selside Hall near Selside. These latter sites are all still occupied and appear at first glance to be just grand houses, belying their defensive history. Other sites still have been long lost to natural degradation, or even deliberate destruction, for example, Cappelside Hall near Beetham, Nether Levens near Levens, Lammerside Castle\Pele\Tower, Heversham Hall Pele tower, and many other ruinous sites.
The sheer number of sites throughout the South Lakes area alone is immense, and as more and more of these buildings come to light, so the nature of the violent past that Cumbria endured over the centuries is illustrated.
Article by Matthew Emmott - March 2003
Some of South and East Cumbria's fortified houses, castles, towers, etc
- South Cumbria
- Burneside Hall
- Wraysholme Tower
- Arnside Tower
- Hazelslack tower
- Dalton Castle
- Levens Hall
- Sizergh Castle
- Kendal Castle
- Kentmere Hall
- Killington Hall
- Ingmire Hall
- Gleaston Castle
- Millom Castle
- Cappelside Hall
- East Cumbria
- Wharton Hall
- Pendragon Castle
- Lammerside Castle
- Smardale Hall
- Milburn - fortified village
Duke of Gloucester. Location : Penrith
Map - Ordnance Survey - NY 51562997
The building that is now the Duke of Gloucester inn, was once a pele tower, used by the Duke of Gloucester, later to become King Richard III as living quarters whilst Penrith Castle was rebuilt and added to. Now much altered, the King’s coat of arms can be seen above the main entrance to the inn.
Two Lions Inn. Location : Penrith
Map - Ordnance Survey - NY 51562997
Immediately across the road is the now empty Two Lions Inn. The inn was probably built in the latter part of the 16th century, and was a fortified town dwelling of the Lowther family.
Godmond Hall. Location : Kendal
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 49979784
A beautiful house incorporating a 15th century pele tower in its East wing.
Hollin Hall or How, Crook. Location : Kendal
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 46559602
A 14th century pele tower, now incorporated into the East wing of the house.
Hutton Hall. Location : Penrith
Map - Ordnance Survey - NY 51803024
Behind the red sandstone Georgian headquarters of Greggs, Cumbria, lays Hutton Hall, a near perfect surviving pele tower built in the 14th century.
Kirfitt Hall. Location : Kirkby Lonsdale
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 617794
A pele tower now much neglected amongst the farm buildings of this farm just outside of Kirkby Lonsdale. Reputedly where King Henry VIII slept whilst wooing Katherine Parr.
Levens Hall. Location : Levens
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 495850
The pele tower portion of Levens Hall, on the North side of the grounds, was reputedly built in 1360. Now surrounded by mainly 16th century buildings, it has been swallowed up somewhat, but can still be picked out from its surroundings.
Lowick Hall. Location : Lowick / Broughton-in-Furness / Newby bridge
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 28588595
Also known in historical records as the Tower of de Lofwic, Lowick Hall has been added to and re-styled many times over the years. The remains of the pele tower, which is probably early 16th century or late 15th century, are on the left hand side of the photo.
Nether Levens. Location : Levens
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 48858517
The ruins of the hall and pele tower of Nether Levens have been allowed to stand at the South side of the surviving hall. Along the rear of the building, a low barmkyn wall survives in sections.
Nether Hall, Witherslack. Location : Levens
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 439844
A 15th century pele tower, now much altered and incorporated into the current house. The walls in places are reputedly 5 feet thick. Once the home to the locally well known Harrington family.
Preston Patrick Hall, Preston Patrick. Location : Kendal / Kirkby Lonsdale
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 544837
The oldest part of the building is the hall block, which dates from the 14th century. The pele tower was added later, probably during the early part of the 15th century, and is the right hand wing of the photo. Records state that there was another tower on this site, and a curtain wall. There was a court room in the right hand tower, where local Quakers were tried in the early days of the breakaway religion.
Selside Hall, Selside. Location : Kendal
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 53509904
This farm house is a twin towered house, consisting of a 15th and 16th century tower at each end of the hall block. The walls were, however, thin compared to local tower houses and peles, and made it easier for the inhabitants to make changes to the building’s character. The hall reputedly has a hidden chapel in one of the upper rooms, used for holding Catholic masses in, as well as a priest hole. Indeed, a chapel here was used right up until the building of the nearby original church of St Thomas in the 18th century.
Skelsmergh Hall, Skelsmergh. Location : Kendal
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 53139589
A 15th century pele tower now joined to a 16th and 17th century house. Built by the de Leybournes, the manor of Skelsmergh was held by them for around 400 years from the early part of the 13th century. The walls of the tower are thinner than most pele towers, suggesting that it was built to represent the family’s power, rather than a purely defensive structure.
Ulpha Old Hall, Ulpha. Location : Broughton-in-Furness
Map - Ordnance Survey - SD 182924
The remains of Ulpha Old Hall, consist of one upstanding gable end of a tower, rising to around two storeys, and some ruined walls, some as thick as 4 feet, and with looped windows in. The tower was probably built in the 1580’s, quite late for a pele tower, and demonstrates the precarious conditions in which some communities still lived as late as the early part of the 17th century.
Ubarrow or Yewbarrow Hall, Longsleddale. Location : Kendal
Map - Ordnance Survey - NY 50390259
Ubarrow or Yewbarrow Hall was built in 1450 by the de Leybourne family, and is the oldest building in the Longsleddale valley. It passed by marriage to the Harringtons of Wraysholme Tower some years later. During the reign of Henry VIII, an annual rent of 1 shilling was paid to Queen Katherine (of Kendal fame). Formerly of three storeys, the much restored tower is now only two storeys tall, and has lost its flat roofed crenellations.
Photos and words by Matthew Emmott
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