Scaleby Castle
| Scaleby Castle | |
|
Cumberland | |
|---|---|
 Aerial photograph of Scaleby Castle | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NY449624 |
| Location: | 54°57’12"N, 2°51’43"W |
| Village: | Scaleby |
| History | |
| Key events: | Civil War |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | Lord Henley |
Scaleby Castle is in the village of Scaleby in Cumberland. The castle was originally built in the early 14th century, and extended in the 15th century to form a substantial fortification.
Parliamentary forces attacked the castle twice during the Civil War, burning it. It was later restored to form a country house.
Details
Robert de Tilliol built Scaleby Castle after 1307, next to the village of Scaleby, six miles from Carlisle.[1] The Tilliols were a well-established family in the region from the reign of King Henry I onwards, and Robert was given the land for the castle by King Edward I and granted the authority to build a castle by King Edward II.[2] The initial castle comprised two sets of buildings, linked by a small courtyard and protected by a curtain wall on both sides, surrounded by a large, circular, water-filled moat approximately 24 feet wide, and an inner moat, since largely destroyed.[3]
The male Tilliol line died out in 1435; the castle then passed by marriage to the Colville family.[4] They rebuilt much of the castle in the late 15th century, including remodelling the pele tower, the great hall and the gateway, complete with a polygonal barbican.[5] The pele tower formed a substantial fortification, about 40 feet by 30 feet across, with three floors and thick walls.[6] The Musgrave family acquired the castle and Sir Edward Musgrave rebuilt the south range of the castle in 1596.[7]
In 1641, the Civil War broke out. Sir Edward's grandson, another Sir Edward Musgrave, was a strong Royalist supporter and declared for the king.[8] In February 1645, Parliamentary forces besieging nearby Carlisle also besieged and eventually seized Scaleby Castle, causing considerable damage; Edward recovered the castle, but in at the start of the Second Civil War in 1648 he again took up arms on behalf of the king.[9] This time the castle immediately fell to Parliamentary forces, who set fire to it.[10]
Sir Edward was heavily in debt so he sold the castle after the war to Richard Gilpin. By 1741 though, Scaleby Castle was deserted and remained abandoned until repaired and restored in about 1800 by the new owner, Rowland Fawcett.[11][12] Later it was acquired by the Standish family as a country house.[13]
Today the castle is a grade I listed building and a scheduled monument.[3] It is the seat of Oliver Eden, 8th Baron Henley, a relative of British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Scaleby Castle) |
References
- ↑ Pettifer, p.47.
- ↑ Taylor, p.344.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 National Monuments Record: No. 11646 – Scaleby Castle
- ↑ Taylor, p.344.
- ↑ Pettifer, p.47.
- ↑ Taylor, p.345.
- ↑ Taylor, p.344; Pettifer, p.47.
- ↑ Mackenzie, p.331.
- ↑ Mackenzie, p.331.
- ↑ Mackenzie, p.331.
- ↑ Scaleby Castle on 'Gatehouse Gazetteer'
- ↑ Mackenzie, p.332.
- ↑ Mackenzie, p.332; Taylor, p.344.
- Mackenzie, James D.: 'The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure, Vol II' (Macmillan, 1896)
- Pettifer, Adrian: 'English Castles: A Guide by Counties' (Boydell Press, 2002) ISBN 9780851157825
- Taylor, Michael Waistell: 'Old Manorial Halls of Westmorland and Cumberland' (T. Wilson, 1892)