Lazonby Castlerigg 'moat' (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Castle Rigg

In the civil parish of Lazonby.
In the historic county of Cumberland.
Modern Authority of Cumbria.
1974 county of Cumbria.
Medieval County of Cumberland.

OS Map Grid Reference: NY50874188
Latitude 54.76965° Longitude -2.76522°

Lazonby Castlerigg 'moat' has been described as a Fortified Manor House although is doubtful that it was such.

There are no visible remains.

Description

NY 50874188. Fort {GT} (Site of). (Ordnance Survey Map 6" Prov. 1956).
The remains of a building surrounded by a moat at a place called Castle Rigg in Lazonby parish, (possibly refers to the published site above) (Hutchinson 1794).
The site is clearly visible as a crop mark in 1947 (Annotated Record Map 1962).
There are no visible remains on the ground and inspection of recent OS APs proved negative. No tradition of a moat in the vicinity of Castlerigg survives although the position occupied by the present farm, NY 50704152, is the most likely one. Certainly the topography is such that the reference cannot apply to the OS published site.(F1 BHP 10-JUN-72).
OS 1/2500 1st edn (1863) Cumberland sheet XXXIX.8 shows, about 400yds NNE of Casterigg farmhouse, a truly circular earthwork with internal ditch, in the position of (1) above. Investigated as a possible signal station, although its size (c. 90m diameter) made this unlikely (RAH Farrar notes, Roman Military North Project). (PastScape)

NY 504 415 Supposed moat.
Hutchinson 'at a place called Castle Rigg the ruins of a building appear, moated round'.
Jackson states 'long since disappeared and there is no tradition... of a moat here'.
Presumably nothing to see. Unlikely to have been a fortified site. (Perriam and Robinson 1998)

Comments

Recorded in the Cumbria HER as Castlerigg Hillfort and as Iron Age or Roman Hill Top Enclosure in PastScape record 1573704
Despite the number of varied map references given in the records the location is clear on the OS six map of 1867 (surveyed in 1860). This is a ridge end. The site could not be that of a water filled moat but is entirely typical for a small Iron Age hill slope fort. The site is clearly now ploughed out. An C18 use of 'moated round' probably to mean ditched has been confused it some later investigators minds who seem to have been looking for a water filled moat. What the 'ruins of buildings' were within the earthwork is not known but could just refer to slight building platforms.

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 12479; 1573704.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 733.

Books
- Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 210
  Jackson, M.J.,1990, Castles of Cumbria (Carlisle: Carel Press)
  Hutchinson, W., 1794, The History of the County of Cumberland (Carlisle) Vol. 1 p. 289 online copy

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.

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