Armathwaite Castle
| Armathwaite Castle | |
|---|---|
| Armathwaite, Cumbria, England | |
|
Armathwaite Castle | |
  Armathwaite Castle | |
| Coordinates | grid reference NY506459 |
| Type | Converted Pele tower |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Private |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Stone |
Armathwaite Castle is in the village of Armathwaite, Cumbria by the River Eden. Originally built to defend against Scottish raiders in the 15th century, it was converted into a mansion and today is a Grade II* listed building.
Details
Armathwaite Castle was built in the 15th century on a strong point along the west side of the River Eden by the Skelton family, possibly by John Skelton in 1445.[1][2][3][4] The castle was a four-storied pele tower and protected the Eden valley from Scottish raiders.[2][4]
In 1712 the castle passed into the Sanderson family–one of whom, Robert Sanderson, made the castle the centre of a collection of antiquities and relics–and from there to the Milbournes and in 1846 onto William Lowther, the Earl of Lonsdale.[5] In the late 18th and 19th centuries the castle was converted into a mansion, faced with ashlar cut stone in a classical style, with an adjacent wing for offices.[3][4]
Today the castle is privately owned.[6]
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Eden District
- Listed buildings in Hesket, Cumbria
- Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
- List of castles in England
References
Bibliography
- Fry, Plantagenet Somerset (1980). The David and Charles Book of Castles. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-7976-9.
- Jefferson, Samuel (1838). History and Antiquities of Carlisle. Carlise, UK: Samuel Jefferson.
- Mackenzie, James D. (1896). The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure. II. New York: Macmillan. OCLC 504892038.
- Pettifer, Adrian (2002). English Castles: A Guide by Counties. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0-85115-782-5.
Online sources
- "Images of England: Armathwaite Castle". English Heritage. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
Coordinates: 54°48′20″N 2°46′12″W / 54.8055°N 2.7701°W