ASKERTON CASTLE

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House, formerly a northern quadrangular castle. Early 14th century tower house, altered in the 15th century. Late 15th and early 16th century additions for Thomas, Lord Dacre, with further additions of the late 16th century. A curtain wall was constructed in the early 16th century to enclose the rear courtyard, within which stands the 16th century hall and barrack block. Further alterations were carried out in the 19th century by Anthony Salvin and in 1922 by Edmond Warre.

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[NY 5503 6923] Askerton Castle [GT] (1)

Built 1500-1525, with rebuilding at four subsequent periods. Now a farmhouse. (2-3)

Still in use as a farmhouse and in good repair. See photographs. (4)

Askerton Castle. Grade I. House, formerly Castle. Early C14 with C15 alterations; late C15 and early C16 additions for Thomas, Lord Dacre, with further additions of late C16; C19 alterations by Anthony Salvin and 1922 alterations by Edmond Warre. Large blocks of calciferous sandstone rubble on projecting plinth stones; graduated sandstone slate roof, flat lead roofs on towers, ashlar chimney stacks. 3-storey, 4-bay, C14 former tower house (now gabled) with flanking 4-storey, single-bay late C15 or early C16 towers; early C16 curtain wall enclosing courtyard to rear, C16 hall and barrack block in L-shape within courtyard. Central block has C20 door in chamfered surround with C20 pointed arch. Ground floor 2-light chamfered mullioned windows with hood moulds are C19 replacements. 2 original C16 3-light chamfered mullioned windows above; a third similar window to right is C19. 2 small square attic windows flank 2 two-light mullioned windows of 1922. Rear wall has blocked courtyard entrance; small chamfered-surround windows on various levels, some with iron grilles. Interior has C15 roof timbers. Tower to right has C19 ground floor window, smaller original windows above. Top courses of stonework project irregularly and may be rebuilt. Projecting battlemented parapet to both towers. Tower to left is set back with garderobe in the angle. Corbelled-out firebreast at first floor level. Parapet has ealy C16 stone inscribed T.D. (Thomas Dacre). Interior has garderobe on each level; windows between the adjoining hall and tower suggest hall is of later date; floor levels altered in 1922. Curtain wall forms outer wall of adjoining hall and barrack block. Hall has ground floor stone-mullioned windows of 1922; upper floor chamfered-surround windows are probably C16. End wall has 3-light window with trefoil heads. Slit vents to left light garderobes. Interior has fireplace with inscription Thomas Carleton Junior 1576 (land serjeant); blocked door and stairs in thickness of end wall suggest a third tower and parapet walk around curtain wall; C16 roof timbers, tie-beams, kingposts with two-way braces and queenstruts. Barrack block has small C16 chamfered-surround windows on various levels, some with iron grilles and slit vents for garderobes. Wall to courtyard has 1922 windows, converted from later use as stables. Interior has 2 C16 fireplaces between modern floor levels. Curtain wall continues to enclose courtyard and has C19 rebuilt segmental arch. Blocked C16 window to left, suggests a porter's lodge with slight remains of steps to parapet walk. See Transactions Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society, new series, xxiv, pp149-155.

Barn and byres to south-west of Askerton Castle Grade II.
Barn and byres. Early C19. Calciferous sandstone rubble with flush quoins; graduated green slate roof to barn, Welsh slate roof to byres. Single storey with loft, byre without loft, enclosing farmyard on 4 sides. Barn has large plank door in segmental-arched cart entrance, lower segment arch to right with loft door above. End walls have slit vents on 2 levels. Rear double span has open sides with roof supported on cast-iron columns. Byres have half plank doors and casement windows. Lower ranges on 2 sides. Included partly for G.V. with Askerton Castle. (5)

Listed by Cathcart King. (6)

Listed with plan and illustration. (7)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1957

( 2) Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society

(E L Warre) 24 - 1924 Page(s)149-55

( 3) Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne

(Ferguson) Page(s)215-6

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F1 DS 11-MAY-72

( 5) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE (HHR) City of Carlisle, Cumbr, June 1984, 10

(6) by David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery

1 -1983 Page(s)82

(7) Denis R Perriam and John Robinson 1998 The medieval fortified buildings of Cumbria : an illustrated gazetteer and research guide

Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society extra series vol.29 Page(s)130

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MONUMENT NO. 1473687
ASKERTON

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A boundary bank of probable post medieval date is visible as an earthwork on air photographs. The bank appears to cut through a post medieval sod cast...

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