Birdoswald Tower
Has been described as a Certain Pele Tower
There are masonry footings remains
Name | Birdoswald Tower |
Alternative Names | campis Borddoswald; Burdeswald |
Historic Country | Cumberland |
Modern Authority | Cumbria |
1974 Authority | Cumbria |
Civil Parish | Waterhead |
Birdoswald first appears in the written record in 1211 when a certain Walter de Beivin was farming the property, then part of the Barony of Gilsland. He gave land in the area to Lanercost Priory and his nephew was known as Ralph de Birdoswald indicating he had a house there. It was a convenient location, for the thick stone walls of the old Roman fort subsequently provided protection for generations of farmers in a Scottish border area that remained marginal and dangerous territory. By 1425, the farm was in the hands of the Vaux family who were probably the builders of a large pele tower found during excavation. The old Roman west gate was also still in use at this time, but it had collapsed by the end of the century. (Wikipedia ref. Wilmott 1995)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
Not Listed
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid Reference | NY614662 |
Latitude | 54.9894790649414 |
Longitude | -2.60336995124817 |
Eastings | 361480 |
Northings | 566250 |