Rockcliffe Castle

Has been described as a Certain Tower House

There are no visible remains

NameRockcliffe Castle
Alternative NamesRokele; Rokclife; Rocliffe; Rowcliffe; Roukcliff; Rockelife; Roclyf
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishRockcliffe

The castle was, according to Camden, built not long before he saw it in 1607, and was demolished shortly after 1659. The site is now largely under the riverside road, foundations and courtyard pavement being revealed when this was widened in 1901 because of erosion which also contributed to the destruction of the castle remains. In 1901 there were also traces in the surface of the field to the west of the Hall (Graham 1910).

Earlier castle documented by Leland in 1539 (Jackson 1990).

Large tower, always called a castle, built between 1485-1522. Used in the Northern Rising, 1569-70 (King 1983). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Described by Leland as "a pretty Pile or Castle of the Lord Dakers" A tower house rather than a pele tower. Shown on Aglionby's "Platt" of 1590.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY353619
Latitude54.9477691650391
Longitude-3.01039004325867
Eastings335380
Northings561940
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 82
  • Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 84
  • Jackson, M.J.,1990, Castles of Cumbria (Carlisle: Carel Press) p. 82-3
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 94
  • Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 13) p. 391-3
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Jeffrey, A., 1864, History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire Vol. 4 p. 232 (facsimile of map) online copy
  • Hutchinson, W., 1794, The History of the County of Cumberland (Carlisle) Vol. 2 p. 523-4 online copy
  • Nicholson, J. and Burn, B., 1777, The History and Antiquities of the Counties of Westmorland and Cumberland (London) Vol. 2 p. 223 online copy

Antiquarian

  • Camden, Wm, 1607, Britannia hypertext critical edition by Dana F. Sutton (2004)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England  (Sutton Publishing) p. 93
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 5 p. 51 online copy

Journals

  • McIntire, W.T., 1939, 'The Fords of the Solway' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 39 p. 156-8 online copy
  • Graham, T.H.B., 1910, 'Extinct Cumberland Castles. Part II' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 10 p. 108-12 online copy
  • 1902, 'Addenda Antiquaria' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 2 p. 412-3 online copy
  • Ellis, H., 1829, 'Copy of a manuscript tract addressed to Lord Burghley, illustrative of the Border topography of Scotland, AD 1590, with a platt or map of the Borders taken in the same year' Archaeologia Vol. 22 p. 161-71 online copy

Primary Sources

  • Brewer, J.S. (ed), 1867, Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII Vol. 3 p. 852 No. 1986 online copy
  • Green, M.A.E.(ed), 1872, Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Elizabeth, Addenda 1580-1625 p. 17-18 no. 44 (Reference for for Dacre's 1580 survey of the West March) online copy
  • Bain, J., 1894, Calendar of Letters and Papers relating to the Borders of England and Scotland (Edinburgh: HMSO) Vol. 1 1560-1594 p. 32 no 76; p. 101 no. 162; p. 168 no. 274; p. 392 no.743; p. 534 np 954 online copy
  • 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])