Thistlewood Farmhouse

Has been described as a Certain Pele Tower

There are major building remains

NameThistlewood Farmhouse
Alternative NamesThistelthuait
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishCastle Sowerby

Farmhouse consisting of a fortified tower and an extension. It was probably built in the early C15 with C16 alterations and the extension was built in the late C17. The tower has thick red sandstone rubble walls with flush quoins, now under a gabled red sandstone slate roof with small banded red sandstone chimney stacks. The extension has dark-pink coursed sandstone rubble walls with flush cream sandstone quoins and eaves cornice, on chamfered plinth. The roof is of Welsh slate with bottom courses of sandstone slate. There are banded red sandstone chimney stacks. The tower is rectangular and two storeys high and the extension is also two storeys high, with four bays. (PastScape)

Fortified tower and extension. Probably early C15 with C16 alterations and late C17 extension. Tower has thick red sandstone rubble walls with flush quoins, now under gabled red sandstone slate roof with small banded red sandstone chimney stacks. Extension of dark-pink coursed sandstone rubble walls with flush cream sandstone quoins and eaves cornice, on chamfered plinth. Welsh slate roof with bottom courses of sandstone slate; banded red sandstone chimney stacks. Rectangular tower of 2 storeys over basement, with lower 2-storey, 4-bay extension. Tower has basement loops; the other small original windows at various levels have been blocked and replaced by 2- and 3-light late C16 stone-mullioned windows under hoodmoulds. Extension has central C20 door in chamfered C17 surround under drip mould. 2-light stone-mullioned windows under drip moulds. Interior of the tower is thought to be of some interest but unable to gain access at the time of survey. Small single-storey additions to tower are not of interest. (Listed Building Report)

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 ReferenceNY396436
Latitude54.7838096618652
Longitude-2.94061994552612
Eastings339600
Northings543610
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. 221 (plan)
  • Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 90
  • Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 48 (slight)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 90
  • Pevsner, N., 1967, Buildings of England: Cumberland and Westmorland (Harmondsworth: Penguin) p. 146
  • Bewley, E.T., 1902, The Bewleys of Cumberland p. 33-6 online copy

Journals

  • 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. 240 online copy