Kershope moat

Has been described as a Questionable Fortified Manor House, and also as a Questionable Bastle

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameKershope moat
Alternative NamesKershopefoot; Kirsopfoote; Kisopfote
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishNicholforest

A homestead moat situated on level ground in a field of rough pasture. The uneven though featureless interior is 15m square and stands up to 0.7m above the surrounding land. The clear-cut and dry arms average 6.0m wide and 1.3m deep with low external counterscarp banks on all but the northeast side; there is no entrance causeway. Remnants of a feed arm extend from the east angle in the direction of boggy ground. Roughly parallel with the northeast and northwest arms is a probable contemporary outwork comprising a 4.0m wide and 1.0m deep dry ditch with upcast bank on both sides. (PastScape–ref. Field Investigators Comments–F1 JRL 22-AUG-79)

Gatehouse Comments

This is presumed by King to be site of Kershope tower shown on 1590 map as 'Kirsopfoote' and 1607 platt as 'Kisopfote'. This sort of homestead moat is normally excluded from lists of fortified site (including the Gatehouse website). The form of the house within the moat is not known but may have been a form of bastle. The suggestion is that the 'towers' marked on the crude maps of the late C16, many of which have no visible remains, were, certainly in part, modest sites and the amount of fortification on the border has been exaggerated. However most or all of these sites were the homes of people who had horses and firearms and who were recorded on muster lists, many were also reivers.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY478825
Latitude55.1346817016602
Longitude-2.81906008720398
Eastings347870
Northings582560
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. 231
  • Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 98 (slight)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 93
  • 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

  • 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, Platt of the Forrest of Nicholl and the Mannor of Liddale, Arthurett and Randelinton with the Debatable groundes online copy (kirsopfote)