Dean Church of St Oswald Vicars Tower

Has been described as a Possible Pele Tower

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains

NameDean Church of St Oswald Vicars Tower
Alternative Names
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishDean

The east wall of the chancel once formed the west wall of a detached building standing to the east of the church. The chancel was extended to incorporate this building in the 17th century. Documentary sources suggest that this structure may have been a vicar's pele. (PastScape ref. Perriam and Robinson 1998)

Gatehouse Comments

Although since the C17 forming the lower part of the east wall of the church was, in the medieval period, a free standing building. The actual form of that building is not really know; the supposition it was a tower is not unreasonable by local analogue but is unproven.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

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 ReferenceNY070253
Latitude54.6149101257324
Longitude-3.44006991386414
Eastings307070
Northings525360
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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

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Books

  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 92 (plan)

Journals

  • Hughes, J., 1968, 'Recent discoveries at St. Oswald's Church, Dean' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 68 p. 35-41 online copy
  • Sherwin, W.B., 1925, 'Proceedings' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 25 p. 352 online copy
  • Collingwood, W.G., 1923, 'An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Cumberland' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 23 p. 257 online copy

Guide Books

  • Bennett, E.O., 1968, Church Guide and Historical Notes