Castlefacts³

Holme Cultram Abbey

Has been described as a Rejected Timber Castle (Motte), and also as a Rejected Fortified Manor House, and also as a Possible Fortified Ecclesiastical site

There are earthwork remains

Name	Holme Cultram Abbey
Alternative Names	Hulm
Historic Country	Cumberland
Modern Authority	Cumbria
1974 Authority	Cumbria
Civil Parish	Holme Abbey

Remains of a Cistercian monastery. The abbey was founded on the 30th December 1150 by Henry, son of David I, king of Scotland and then ruling Cumberland, and a colony of monks were sent from Melrose. When Henry II recovered the district for England he took the abbey under his protection. It suffered heavily from its location near the border. The abbey was surrendered on the 6th March 1538. The west end of the nave of the abbey church now forms part of the parish church of St. Mary. It has early C16 additions, and alterations dated 1730. The vestry dates to 1884-5 and the church was restored in 1913. (PastScape 9641)

To the north of the Abbey of Holme Cultram is a mound and broad ditch; this is all that remains of the moat and wall which surround the Monastery of Holme Cultram. (Curwen; Ferguson)

"Motte with ditch, but without bailey, N of the abbey". (Pevsner)

As described by Curwen and Fergusson. There is no trace of a motte. (F1 BHP 19-NOV-68)

The remains of a medieval moat and precinct wall are visible as earthworks on air photographs centred at NY 1773 5099. A broad ditch, 105m long, is flanked on the south side by a bank, representing the precinct wall. (PastScape 9648)

Gatehouse Comments

There is a mention of 'Castlehill at Holme Cultram' in 1552. The earthwork is rejected by King as moat only, some other authors give the possibility of it being a motte or precinct rampart. Pevsner, who was not an archaeologist or earthworks expert, may be the source for those who mention a motte. Jackson suggests could be the remains of Alan fitz Waldeve's capital messuage mention in C12. A motte can be rejected. A moated house is possible although there is nothing really to suggest this would have been fortified and the C12 date might argue against what seems to be a straight line of ditch. An abbey precinct wall and ditch seems by the far the most likely explanation of this feature; there is nothing to suggest this would have been of such a strength as to be called fortified.Although little remains of the medieval monastery the buildings were probably fortified. Said by Parker to been granted a licence to crenellate in 1327 but this was, in fact, for St Benet, Holm in Norfolk.In 1538, when the abbey was dissolved, the parishioners successfully petitioned for the preservation of the abbey church for 'defence for us agenst our neghbors the Scots' although how a church larger than Carlisle Cathedral was a defence is an open question.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number

1007164

Historic England Listed Building number(s)

1144608

Images Of England

71961

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

9641
9648

County Historic Environment Record

maps.cumbria.gov.uk/eggp/eggp.aspx?dept=Environment&scriptname=1%20Historic%20Environment

OS Map Grid Reference	NY177509
Latitude	54.8468399047852
Longitude	-3.28273010253906
Eastings	317730
Northings	550980