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CastleUK Blog 2014
 This is the place where I record and then archive my monthly updates and what's new in our hunt for castles UK.
In February we both retire, so it's full time castle hunting from now on, I'd planned it all in my head, bit of this and that, lots to do in the house and now we have the time to do it. Well it didn't happen, we act like two kids just let out of school, so it's rides out on the Vespa, nights away and fun, fun, fun, well we're only going to retire once and we've both worked for it. Trouble is it's now April and I still can't get back to working on the website, silly as it seems I don't have or find the time, hopefully it'll all come together soon. In three months, after being reminded about Mays wallpaper on Facebook, I managed to build a miserly 3 wallpapers plus new tower house, bastle, motte, pages plus this short blog, that's nothing to write in a blog about, ....................
For more information, click on the pictures or tap the Facebook link
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 York Castle, OS 105/SE 605-515 Yorkshire England.
Is the wallpaper for March, taken in January 2014, the picture looks north-west across the bailey at Clifford's Tower. In 1068-9, William the Conqueror built two, motte and bailey castles in York, to strengthen his military hold on the north and the mound of the Old Baile can be seen from Clifford's Tower. Built 1245-72 when updating the defences, its unusual four-lobed design resembles the castle of Etampes, France and the slighted castle of Pontefract, West Yorkshire. |
 Church of St Peter and St Paul Longhoughton, OS 81/NU 243-151 Northumberland England.
Is the wallpaper for April / Easter, taken in January 2014, the picture looks west at the churchyard, with the church behind the trees. At this time of year, I like the picture to include a Christian reference and the church is a fortified ecclesiastical site. The lower half of the thick west tower is from an earlier ecclesiastic building, built to act as the local refuge during raids from the Scots. |
 Pickering Castle, OS 100/SE 799-845 North Yorkshire England.
Is the wallpaper for May, taken in May 2013, the picture taken from the top of the motte, looks west across the baileys to Beacon Hill, an early 13th century siege castle, which is bottom right of my logo. Pickering is an 11th century earthwork motte and bailey fortress, founded by William the Conqueror. In the late 12th to early 13th century, King Henry II founded the stone castle, when crowning the motte with a shell keep and encasing the inner bailey with a curtain wall, flanked by the Coleman Tower. The restored chantry chapel of 1227 and the foundations of the early to mid 12th century Old Hall, also stand in the inner bailey. In 1324-26 King Edward II replaced the timber palisade which encased the outer bailey with a curtain wall. |
 Barracks House, OS 85/NY 253-605 Cumbria England.
Was originally a rectangular 16th century stone two storey defensible farmhouse. Restored back into a dwelling house in 1982, this extensively altered bastle retains original slit vents, a first floor water outlet on north angle and a blocked attic window. The rear wall had a ground floor entrance with a drawbar tunnel but this was enlarged and its lintel reused as a mantelpiece and in the thick north wall are the remains of a spiral stair.
The site is visible from the road, it's the remains of a bastle and we always have time to hunt a bastle house. |
 Beaumont Motte , OS 85/NY 348-593 Cumbria England.
Is an 12th century earthwork motte, probably founded by the le Brun family. The low oval mound stands on a high point overlooking the River Eden and to the north-east is Castle Green, the site of a possible bailey. The late 12th century Church of St Mary, now crowns the motte and beneath are the buried foundations of a turf section of Hadrian's Wall and angle turret 70a.
The site is freely accessible in daylight hours, it's a motte so you've just got to stand on the top. |
 Drumburgh Castle, OS 85/NY 265-598 Cumbria England.
Was originally a 13th century stone hall, built of red sandstone from Hadrian's Wall and it possibly stands within a Roman Fort, opposite one of the fords across the Solway Firth. In 1307 Richard le Brun fortified Drombogh when he was given a Royal licence to crenellate his dwelling house by King Edward II. In 1518 Thomas Lord Dacre made alterations to the 4 storey tower house, placing his initials and coat of arms over the first floor entrance.
The site is visible from the road, well you see the stone steps so you know it's something important but now it's hemmed in to the front, so I couldn't get a good full on picture. It's an interesting building, so it would be nice to have a look inside. |
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