Castlefacts³

Elmslack tower

Has been described as a Rejected Pele Tower

There are no visible remains

Name	Elmslack tower
Alternative Names
Historic Country	Lancashire
Modern Authority	Lancashire
1974 Authority	Lancashire
Civil Parish	Silverdale

A demolished pele tower is recorded in the vicinity (Lancashire SMR 11187).

There are no apparent traces of the pele tower. A lynchet runs diagonally across the field on an approximate east-west alignment. It survives to a maximum height of 1.5m, and is crossed by a field wall, and continues in the adjoining field. To the north of the lynchet are two prominent earthworks separated by a level area (SD 4611575858). The northernmost earthwork is flat-topped. The maximum height of the earthworks is 2.5m. The size and scale of the earthworks suggest artificial terracing. The top earthwork may define the edge of a terraced platform (Jamie Quartermaine/26-JAN-1993/RCHME/LUAU: Arnside and Silverdale AONB Rapid Identification Survey). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

The reference 'Lancashire SMR 11187' seems to refer to Marton Pele which has a SMR number of PRN11189 - MLA11187 although it is difficult to see how an skilled land surveyor like Jamie Quartermaine could have confused the two records unless the record he saw in 1993 was very different from the current record.Given the apparent confusion of records and the complete lack of any other supporting evidence for a pele tower here (there is no mention in the elderly but excellent VCH edited by William Farrer) can be rejected.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)

1002502

County Historic Environment Record

www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/chr/herdetail.aspx?crit=&ctid=90&id=4722

OS Map Grid Reference	SD460757
Latitude	54.174690246582
Longitude	-2.8275101184845
Eastings	346080
Northings	475750