Peartree

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

There are no visible remains

NamePeartree
Alternative NamesPearepeale; Pearetree
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishArthuret

NY 360 697 Supposed stonehouse; site now destroyed.

The 1604 Survey places it in the Debatable Land, however, the 1590 and 1607 Maps show the house on the River Lyne at NY 410 663. Graham was certain of this site based on surname evidence.

Cole confirms that this is Peartree in the Debatable Land, gives its location and history. He makes no comment on what sort of building it might have been. 'Peale' on the 1590 map may have some significance, however it was probably a detached part of the estate.

Cole states that 'the site of Peartree has been eroded or completely destroyed by gravel quarrying to the south and east of Closegap. (Perriam and Robinson 1998)

NY360697. Site of a destroyed bastle or stonehouse at Peartree shown as a house on both the 1590 and 1607 maps of Cumbria. The site has been eroded or completely destroyed by gravel quarrying to the south and east of Close gap. (PastScape ref. Perriam and Robinson)

Gatehouse Comments

Gatehouse finds this record in Perriam and Robinson difficult to accept. The house shown as 'Pearepeale' on the 1590 map and 'Pearetree' on the 1607 platt are clearly nowhere near the given map reference of NY360697. These two maps, which seem to have been independently made (unlike a lot of early maps which just copy each other) place Peartree on the River Lynn downstream of Randalinton/Kirklinton. I would place them in the vicinity of Parceltown at NY394654, where it would form one of a number of sites marked at fairly regular intervals along the River Lynn (possibly reflecting a regular breakdown of the land into fairly equal agricultural parcels). Martin and Jean Norgate of Old Cumbria Gazetteer places it at slightly feature east in square NY4065. The map reference given in Perriam and Robinson 1998 is marked as a small building called 'Henrystown' on the 1868 OS map. It can not have been destroyed by erosion although the site was destroyed by the building of the Smalmstown depot of the HM Factory Gretna in 1915. I have not seen Cole's thesis but I feel Perriam and Robinson have accepted this source rather too unquestioningly and possibly with some transcribing error

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY394654
Latitude54.980281829834
Longitude-2.94734001159668
Eastings339400
Northings565400
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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

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.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 238
  • 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]
  • Graham, T.H.B., 1912, 'The Debateable Land' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 12 p. 49-50 online copy
  • 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

  • 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])
  • Bain, J., 1894, Calendar of Letters and Papers relating to the Borders of England and Scotland (Edinburgh: HMSO) Vol. 1 1560-1594 p. 126 (Mulgrave letter of 1584 on Border riders) online copy
  • 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)
  • Sanderson, R.P. (ed), 1891, Survey of the Debateable and Border Lands Adjoining the Realm of Scotland and Belonging to the Crown of England, Taken A.D. 1604 (Alnwick)

Other

  • Cole, J.R., 1982, A survey of the Debatable Land and Glen Tarras c. 1449-1620 (Thesis for Manchester University) p. 78-9