BEW CASTLE

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The castle is traditionally thought to have been constructed between 1296-1307. It was strategically situated within the north-east corner of the Roman fort (NY 57 SE 15); lengths of the fort's north and east ditches were widened and deepened and cross ditches cut so as to form a moat. A shell keep was built, inside it other buildings were constructed around a courtyard; a gatehouse was added in the 15th century. It decayed and was rebuilt during the 15th and 16th century and was taken down in 1641. Only the south and east walls now survive.

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(NY 5656 7468) Bew Castle (GT) (Remains of) (1)

A moated shell-keep 91' square, with rampart and battlements, best preserved on the south. There are remains of a gate-house against the west wall. Much Roman material used. No documentary references occur before 1401. Hall thinks it was built in the 12th c, and Curwen points out that it was evidently considerably remodelled in the 16thc. Scheduled. (2-4)

As previously described, see photograph.
The moat, now dry, averages 16.0m in width and has a maximum depth of 2.5m. Published survey (25") revised. (5)

NY 5656 7468. Ruins of Bew Castle and remains of small square moat. From the SE corner run several earthwork banks, probably agricultural. (6)

The remains of Bew Castle, centred at NY 5656 7468, were surveyed by RCHME in 1984-5 at 1:1000. The remains, consisting of a square shell keep in ruins within a dry moat, up to 2.2m deep, are situated in the N angle of the Roman fort. It is first mentioned in 1378 and was garrisoned until the early 17th century (7a). Full survey information including a report is included in the NMR archive. (7)

The results of the RCHME survey have been published. (8)

Bew Castle is traditionally thought to have been constructed between 1296-1307. It was strategically situated within the north-east corner of the Roman fort (NY 57 SE 15); lengths of the fort's north and east ditches were widened and deepened and cross ditches cut so as to form a moat. A shell keep was built, inside it other buildings were constructed around a courtyard; a gatehouse was added in the 15th century. It decayed and was rebuilt during the 15th and 16th century and was taken down in 1641. Only the south and east walls now survive. (9)

Listed with plan and photographs. (10)

The ruinous castle came into royal hands from Richard III, who had acquired the castle in 1478. it was brought up to defensive readiness and garrisoned. By 1527 it was again ruinous, and although repaired to some degree in 1533, only ditching work and the construction of a barbican were attempted. By 1565 the barmkin wall was entirely ruinous, and no further expenditure was authorised. (11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1957

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

(J F Curwen) 22, 1922 Page(s)186-92

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

(A H Hall) 1, 1954-5 Page(s)306

( 4) Scheduled Monument Notification

Ancient Monuments England and Wales 1965 (MOW) Page(s)32

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 BHP 13-JUL-72

( 6) Externally held archive reference

Cumbria and Lancashire Archaeol Unit NY 57 SE plan (G E Lee)

( 6a) Aerial photograph

(DH 86 1-5 held by Durham Univ CUC W88 held by Cumbr & Lancs Arch Unit;CUC T55 held by Durham Univ and Newcastle Univ;CUC W 87-8,held by Newcastle Univ)

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

Iain Sainsbury and Humphrey Welfare/NOV-1984/RCHME: Bewcastle Survey

( 7a) 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

Page(s)82, 98

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

(Sainsbury IS and Welfare HG) The Roman Fort at Bewcastle: An Analytical Field Survey 90, 1990 Page(s)139-46

( 9) Scheduled Monument Notification

24-OCT-1997

(10) 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)46-7

(11) by H M Colvin, D R Ransome and John Summerson 1975 The history of the King's Works, volume 3 : 1485-1660 (part 1)

Page(s)233-4

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A Roman fort surviving in part as earthworks, but mostly obscured by erosion and later buildings. Excavations uncovered four phases; Phase 1 was a t...

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