John Comcrooks 'Tower', Querlokens

Has been described as a Questionable Pele Tower, and also as a Questionable Bastle

There are no visible remains

NameJohn Comcrooks 'Tower', Querlokens
Alternative Names
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishSolport

A tower symbol referring to John Cumcrook, (probably John Routledge of Cumcrook) is depicted on the 1590 map of Cumbria. It is depicted as a house at 'Querlokens' on the 1607 plot. Probably a stonehouse or bastle. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Shown as west of river on the crude 1590 map. Not Cumcrook, which is shown separately. Given the tendency for such buildings to remain the site of later buildings Gatehouse suspects this tower or, more likely, bastle was located either at Troughfoot (NY490744) or The Roan (NY495748). The Routledge family of Cumcrook were a significant local family of near gentry status, who seem to have had at least two houses in this area marked on the 1590 platt, but the form of those houses is not clear. A bastle of some from (a large pele-house type or a small superior bastle type) is possibly more likely than a three storey tower attached to an unfortified hall.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY490740
Latitude55.0578498840332
Longitude-2.79994010925293
Eastings349000
Northings574000
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 231
  • Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 93
  • Jeffrey, A., 1864, History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire Vol. 4 p. 232 (facsimile of map) online copy

Journals

  • Harrison, J.V., 1965, 'The Routledges of Cumcrook' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 65 p. 320- online copy
  • Graham, T.H.B., 1914, 'The Debatable Land Part II' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 14 facing p. 148 online copy [online copy of 1607 platt > http://www.geog.port.ac.uk/webmap/thelakes/html/maps/m067.htm] [online copy of 1552 map > http://www.geog.port.ac.uk/webmap/thelakes/html/maps/m068.htm]

Primary Sources

  • 1590, A Platt of the opposete Borders of Scotland to ye west marches of England (The Aglionby Platt) British Library online Gallery and [Old Cumbria Gazetteer > http://www.geog.port.ac.uk/webmap/thelakes/html/maps/m048.htm] (see also [Gatehouse Essay 'The Aglionby Platt' > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/APHome.html])