Millees

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

There are no visible remains

NameMillees
Alternative NamesMilneleis
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishKirkandrews

NY 389 723 Supposed tower, now destroyed.

Cole, states 'Millees was built by Graham Graham, second son of Richard of Netherby some time between 1552 and 1590... William Graham certainly had the wealth to build a tower like his uncle's at Kirkandrews... the tower may have been demolished in the 17th century by Sir Richard Graham to rebuild the nearby church.' However, Cole gives no documentary reference to a tower house. It is not shown on the 1590 map, but is shown as a tower at 'Milneleis' on the 1607 platt.

Nothing to be seen today. (Perriam and Robinson 1998)

Gatehouse Comments

The given map reference is from Perriam and Robinson but a small settlement called Millees is centred about NY38577267 450m North West of the given site. As the house of a significant member of the large Graham Clan probably a bastle-house rather than a peel-house. A grander tower house of some form is not impossible but there is a tendency to assume such buildings on little or no evidence. The Dacre list appears to list William Graham as the second son of Richard of Netherby, rather than Graham (a forename, unsurprisingly, not used by the Grahams). Has either Perriam and Robinson or Cole mistranscribed the name.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY389723
Latitude55.0414390563965
Longitude-2.95764994621277
Eastings338900
Northings572300
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 98 (slight)
  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 236

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]

Primary Sources

  • Dacre List of The Clan of the Grahams dated 23 August 1561 - National Archives SP 59/9 ff. i97-203 (Partly transcribed in Stevenson, J. (ed), 1866, Calendar of State Papers Foreign, Elizabeth Vol. 4 1561-62 no. 422 online transcription; fully transcribed in Spence, R.T., 1980, 'The Graham Clans and Lands on the eve of the Jacobean Pacification' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 80 p. 79-102 [online copy > http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-2055-1/dissemination/pdf/Article_Level_Pdf/tcwaas/002/1980/vol80/tcwaas_002_1980_vol80_0009.pdf])
  • Scrope List of 1602 - Richard Bell's manuscript History of the Borders, ff. 211-215 in the Library of the Dean and Chapter at Carlisle; fully transcribed in Spence, R.T., 1980, 'The Graham Clans and Lands on the eve of the Jacobean Pacification' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 80 p. 79-102 online copy)

Other

  • Cole, J.R., 1982, A survey of the Debatable Land and Glen Tarras c. 1449-1620 (Thesis for Manchester University) p. 76-7