Coneyside Cop

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Motte)

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameConeyside Cop
Alternative NamesCop Spur
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishSt Bees

Cop Spur is described as being a natural mound utilised as a motte, surrounded by a bank and ditch. As late as 1923 a large stone inscribed 'Fleming 1706' was visible on the summit. Excavation needed to clarify its nature. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

This does not seem to be a manorial centre or a position of strategic importance. The supposed bank and ditch is not obvious on the air photo, although some relicts of field boundaries are visible, no such features are shown on OS maps. Not recorded in the other surveys of Cumbrian fortifications (Curwen 1913;King 1983;Jackson 1990). The identification as a motte made in 1909 does not seem to have been taken up by castle studies experts despite being marked as a motte on early OS maps. However there is a possibility of some confabulation between this dubious site and Coneygarth Cop (Caernarvon Castle) (and also Wodowbank) which may explain the apparent omission of this site from those surveys. Although recorded as a motte in PastScape considered unlikely by Gatehouse.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNX982094
Latitude54.4697303771973
Longitude-3.57226991653442
Eastings298200
Northings509400
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.

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 97 (slight)
  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 99
  • Crawford, G. and George, C., 1983, Copeland Archaeological Survey (Kendal)

Journals

  • Parker, C.A., 1909, 'Some Medieval Crosses, Cross Sites, and Cross Names in West Cumberland' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 9 p. 107 online copy