Millom Castle

Has been described as a Certain Masonry Castle

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains

NameMillom Castle
Alternative NamesMillum
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishMillom

Ruins of castle or moated manor house incorporating present farmhouse. Licence to crenellate 1335, east range later C14, great tower, now farmhouse C16 or C17 with later alterations. Stone rubble with ashlar dressings, house partly roughcast with parallel hipped slate roofs. House has hall to north; east range has central gatehouse, kitchen range to north, solar range to south. Windows with pointed heads. East elevation has projecting gatehouse up C17 steps, front wall collapsed, small projection to south. Straight-headed 1st floor window to south return. South elevation of house has varied windows with label moulds, mostly tall 12-pane sashes, later 2-storey wing to west. Cross-axial stack and return lateral stacks. Entrance to wing. West elevation has pointed entrance and window opening to hall, entrance with overlight and 2 sashed windows to house, gabled out-house to wing which has sashed windows. North elevation has later barns abutting. Solar range has 1st floor with larger windows and ogee-headed entrance, probably to garderobe, to south-west angle; ground floor fireplace has smoke hole to outer hall with finial. Gatehouse has signs of 1st floor, small courtyard to west has jamb of entrance with portcullis groove. Kitchen range has segmental-headed fireplace with smoke hole to outer wall. 2 pointed entrances to hall lwhich has signs of east dais and 2 formerly Y tracery north windows. House north elevation has 2 pointed entrances to vaulted cellars; sashed windows, one with bull's eye pane. East elevation has wide-boarded studded door. Moat to west and north. (Listed Building Report)

Millom Castle was probably founded in the 13th century, but following the licence to crenellate (1335) the main building took place, and probably included the entrance tower and the hall. Circa 1450 further buildings were erected and about 1600 the Great Tower was built. In 1644 the Castle was partially demolished

The present remains consist of the moat (visible on the south and westsides), the tower, hall, and ruined gatehouse. (PastScape ref. Curwen 1913)

Gatehouse Comments

Curwen writes a further licence was granted in 1622 but this seems to be an error (Salter, who must have been using this reference, gives this date as 1522 making Curwen's error even more confusing)

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

This is a Grade 1 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 ReferenceSD171813
Latitude54.2209396362305
Longitude-3.27255010604858
Eastings317120
Northings481340
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink
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Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Photograph by Matthew Emmott. All rights reservedView full Sized Image
Photograph by Matthew Emmott. All rights reservedView full Sized Image
Photograph by Matthew Emmott. All rights reservedView full Sized Image
Photograph by Matthew Emmott. All rights reservedView full Sized Image
Photograph by Matthew Emmott. All rights reservedView full Sized Image
Photograph by Matthew Emmott. All rights reservedView full Sized Image

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

  • Grimsditch, Brian, Nevell, Michael and Nevell, Richard, 2012, Buckton Castle and the Castles of the North West England (University of Salford Archaeological Monograph 2) p. 110
  • Goodall, John, 2011, The English Castle 1066-1650 (Yale University Press) p. 9 (incorrect regarding supposed 1622 licence)
  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 115
  • Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 74
  • Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 1 Northern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 229, 263
  • Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 44
  • Jackson, M.J.,1990, Castles of Cumbria (Carlisle: Carel Press) p. 74
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 89
  • Clare, T., 1981, Archaeological Sites of the Lake District p. 86-91
  • Hugill, Robert, 1977, Castles and Peles of Cumberland and Westmorland (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p. 133-4
  • Pevsner, N., 1967, Buildings of England: Cumberland and Westmorland (Harmondsworth: Penguin) p. 162-3
  • Collingwood, W.G., 1928, Lake District History p. 75
  • Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 13) p. 189, 211-12
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 2 p. 321-2 online copy
  • Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 410 online copy
  • Lysons, Daniel and Samuel, 1816, 'Antiquities: Castles' Magna Britannia Vol. 4: Cumberland p. ccii-ccvi online transcription
  • Buck, Samuel and Nathaniel, 1774, Buck's Antiquities (London) Vol. 1 p. 46

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. 97
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 5 p. 55 online copy

Journals

  • Winchester, A.J.L., 1983, 'The Castle Household and Demesne Farm at Millom in 1513-14' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 83 p. 85-100 online copy
  • < >Cowper, H.S., 1924, 'Millom Castle and the Hudlestons' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 24 p. 181-234 < > online copy
  • Knowles, 1866-73, 'Millom Castle' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 1 p. 275-7 (plan) online copy

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1895, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1334-38) Vol. 3 p. 167 online copy

Other

  • Historic England, 2016, Heritage at Risk North West Register 2016 (London: Historic England) p. 17 online copy
  • Historic England, 2015, Heritage at Risk North West Register 2015 (London: Historic England) p. 19 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2014, Heritage at Risk Register 2014 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 19 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2013, Heritage at Risk Register 2013 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 19 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2012, Heritage at Risk Register 2012 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 34 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 32 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 30 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 38 online copy