Gillalees Beacon

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

There are masonry footings remains

NameGillalees Beacon
Alternative NamesSpade Adam Top; Spadeadam Top
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishAskerton

Supposed site of a tower or bastle.

Curwen refers to the foundations of a house.

Curwen gives no source (probably Maughan).

Cathcart King rejects this site and states 'identified as a cairn by Ordnance Survey field staff'.'

SMR record 76 reads 'Two large mounds...which may be natural. The top may have been an addition'. Also SMR record 74 'remains of 17th18th century sheep farm by the side of the Maiden Way. Probably not a fortified site. (Perriam and Robinson 1998)

A list of beacons in Cumberland in the fifteenth century includes "Spadeadam Top .... Now known as Gillalees Beacon". (The trig point (and name "The Beacon") on Gillalees Beacon hill is at NY 5731 7183) (Ferguson).

Irregular traces of foundations of Beacon can be seen on the highest point of the ridge know as "The Beacon", formerly "Spade Adam Top" (Maughan).

No foundations are now visible (Field Investigators Comments F1 BHP 14-JUL-72).

The OS Triangulation Pillar is set on top of a turf-covered earth and stone mound about 7.0m diameter and 0.6m maximum height. There is not enough evidence to confirm this as the site of a beacon but it is an excellent position and the name is still known as it is most probably correct (Field Investigators Comments F2 ISS 24-APR-79). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Whilst it is clear that there was a beacon at, or near, the existing trig point it seems unlikely that any accommodation provided would be more than a crude hut, although probably this would have been (?dry) stone built.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY573718
Latitude55.0391616821289
Longitude-2.66956996917725
Eastings357310
Northings571830
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 153
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 96
  • Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 13) p. 408

Journals

  • Cowper, H.S., 1897, 'Sites of Local Beacons. Lancashire north of the Sands' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 14 p. 140 online copy
  • Maughan, J., 1854, 'Survey of the Maiden Way, from the Roman Wall into Scotland' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 11 p. 14-15 online copy