Soutermoor, Stapleton

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

There are no visible remains

NameSoutermoor, Stapleton
Alternative NamesSowtermore
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishStapleton

Possible site of a tower, marked on a map of 1590 and documented in 1485. (PastScape)

Tower or stonehouse site.

Has tower symbol on 1590 map 'Sowtermore', a house symbol on 1607 platt.

1485 IPM; 'Soutermore'. King lists as a tower or bastle, based on the evidence of the 1590 map. EPNS gives earliest reference as 1589, but it is mentioned in 1485 (IPM of Humfrey Dacre). (Perriam and Robinson 1998)

mid 18th century house, but no sign of anything earlier on site. (Perriam and Robinson 1998)

Gatehouse Comments

No evidence of a gentry status dwelling here so unlikely to be a pele tower in the sense used in Gatehouse (usually a chamber block of three or more storeys attached to a hall). Probably a pele-house type bastle.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY488711
Latitude55.0318794250488
Longitude-2.8024001121521
Eastings348890
Northings571120
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 99 (slight)
  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 170
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 94
  • Armstrong, A.M., 1950, The Place-Names of Cumberland, part 2 The Wards of Allerdale Above Derwent and Allerdale Below Derwent (English Place-Name Society 21) p. 113
  • Jeffrey, A., 1864, History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire Vol. 4 p. 232 (facsimile of map) online copy

Journals

  • 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]
  • 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

  • 1898, Calendar of inquisitions post mortem and other analogous documents preserved in the Public Record Office Vol. 1 no. 10 (1485) (TNA ref C142/1/12)
  • 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])
  • 1607, A Platt of the Forest of Nicholl and the Manor of Liddale... (Duchy of Lancaster No. 91) online copy