Great Orton Dyke

Has been described as a Questionable Urban Defence

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameGreat Orton Dyke
Alternative NamesBarrass Gate; Ringfence
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishOrton

"At the extermity of a lane that extends 300yds northward of the village is a large foss or double ditch, where an iron chain went across the road and was locked every night, called Barass Gate, made as a defence against the frequent incursions of the Scots or Moss Troopers. The entrance from the east had a similar defence and the whole parish was surrounded with a ditch and an embankment, called the Ringfence." (Whellan)

The whole parish (?village) of Great Orton was at one time enclosed by a ditch and rampart, called the Ring Fence, agains the Scots or Moss Troopers.

North of the village is a large fosse or double ditch (at) Barrass

Gate where an iron chain was stretched across the road every night. The entrance to the village from the east had a similar defence (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Object Name Book).

Collingwood mentions "remains of rampart" here (For other Gates see NY 35 SE 8 & 9).

There are no visible remains of a ditch or rampart at Barrass Gate, or anywhere else in the vicinity of Great Orton (F1 BHP 17-NOV-69). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Some reports that it still survives in places, although PastScape writes no traces. The line of ditch is not obvious in the modern field pattern, although the medieval field layout can be traced with almost textbook clarity. Even if the ditch just surrounded the village (and the suggestion is it surrounded the parish) it could not have garrisoned - even in an emergency - with sufficient personnel to defend against a significant raid and the mention of it as a defence against the Scots is romantic fantasy. The possibility of a ditched hedge for stock control is not unreasonable.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY327547
Latitude54.8827781677246
Longitude-3.04990005493164
Eastings332740
Northings554730
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 269
  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 65
  • Armstrong, A.M., 1952, The Place-Names of Cumberland, part 3 (English Place-Name Society 22) p. 70, 131
  • Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 13) p. 196
  • Whellan, W., 1860, The History and Topography of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmorland (Pontefract: W.Whellan and Co.) p. 175-6 online copy
  • Britton, J. and Brayley, E.W., 1803, The Beauties of England; Topographical, Historical and Descriptive Delineation of Cumberland (London) p. 186 online copy

Journals

  • Collingwood, W.G., 1923, 'An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Cumberland' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 23 p. 237 online copy
  • Ferguson, R.S., 1884, 'The Bishop's Dyke, Dalston ; Barras Gate, Dalston ; the Bishop's Dyke, Crosby' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 7 p. 274-6 online copy