More information : [SD 66239229.] Motte & Bailey [G.T.]
Castlehaw Tower [T.I.] (1)
Castlehaugh Tower is an oval motte, 30ft. high, surrounded by a ditch about 15ft wide except on the south where there is a steep scarp. The bailey, measuring about 1/4 acre, now forms a terrace. (2)
Published survey (25") revised. 'Castlehaw Tower' (a) is a well preserved motte and bailey, correctly described above. (3)
Medieval motte and bailey mapped from poor quality air photographs. The following features were identified:-
Probable Medieval motte, seen as an earthwork. Morphological description: one large (15-50m), round feature.
Centred at:-SD 6622 9229
(Morph No. CU.16.22.1)
Probable Medieval bailey, seen as an earthwork. Morphological description: a regular, curvilinear enclosure, 35m by 30m, with 1 straight side, defined by 1 ditch and 1 bank. This feature was partially obscured by tree cover on the photography available to RCHME's Howgill Fells Project.
Centred at:-SD 6618 9228
(Morph No. CU.16.22.2)
This description has been generated from the RCHME MORPH2 database. (4)
As described by Authority 2. The motte top measures about 9m E-W by 7m N-S; the modern building shown on the Antiquity Model by Authority 3 has been removed, leaving a slightly dished top. The motte commands excellent views over the town to the Lune valley, and down Garsdale and the Rawthey valley; the bridge at Millthrop would be visible but for trees. There is some gorse and hawthorn growing on the E side of the motte and recent repairs have been made to a damaged area on the N side. On the N side the motte ditch is defined by a bank 1m high. There is a slight causeway across the E sector of the motte ditch.
The bailey, which lies to the W of the motte and slopes to the W, is approximately 30m E-W by 20m N-S; it is shaped as depicted by Authority 3 on the Antiquity Model except that there is a slight re-entrant in the W face. The "slight lowering" mentioned on the Antiquity Model, on the NW of the earthwork, is still visible but is not entirely convincing as an entrance; a lynchet approaches this point from the W but this probably only reflects the edge of ploughing visible as narrow ridge-and-furrow in the adjacent field to the N. The "modern mutilations" noted on the Antiquity Model are still apparent, consisting of a mound on the edge of the motte/ bailey ditch with a capping of concrete beams over, presumably, a substantial hole (this might be connected with the WW2 use of the motte as an air raid lookout (5a)). There is also a substantial path on the SW side of the motte, which crosses the ditch to the bailey on a stony causeway; this path is also apparent on the W nose of the bailey. The bailey has no bank and there is no sign of masonry anywhere on the site. (5) |