High Head Castle (The Gatehouse Record)

Description

High Head house was rebuilt 1748 for H Richmond Brougham incorporating C16 work. It is on the site of timber pele extant in 1317 replaced by a stone curtain wall and gatehouse in 1342 when a licence was granted to crenellate. Nothing of C14 castle survives, and there are no earthworks associated with it. A hall was built in 1550 and rebuilt in 1748. Burnt in 1956 and since a ruin. (PastScape)

Highhead Castle was founded about 1326, and a licence to crenellate was granted in 1342. In 1550 a Hall, 52' x 26', was built on the west side. From 1744 to 1748 the Castle was demolished and rebuilt, and in 1800 further restorations took place (Curwen).
Nothing of the 14th century castle survives, and there are no earthworks associated with it. Part of the Hall is incorporated into the west side of the main 18th century range, the whole of which is derelict. The gate is modern (F1 RE 03-NOV-70).
High Head Castle - building now completely derelict - the roof has fallen in but the walls still stand to roof level however the building is in a dangerous state of repair. (PastScape)

Country house in ruins, built on the site of a medieval castle. 1744-7, probably by James Gibbs for the Brougham family, partly destroyed by fire 1956. Red sandstone ashlar with string course, eaves modillions, open balustraded parapet and V-jointed quoins. Roofless but with banded ashlar sandstone chimney stacks. 2 storeys, 11 bays. Projecting pedimented 3-bay centre, with carved ornament in pediment, has central door in alternate-block surround with entablature and pediment. Stone window architraves. Return and rear walls are partly in ruins. Interior completely gutted. (Listed Building Report)

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1342 Oct 6 (Click on the date for details of this licence.).

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Listed Building number(s) 1145451 , 1145453
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 11369.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 4510.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Institute of Historic Building Conservation
  BBC Cumbria
  Wikipedia entry
  Old Cumbria Gazetteer Old Cumbria Gazetteer
Books
- Grimsditch, Brian, Nevell, Michael and Nevell, Richard, 2012, Buckton Castle and the Castles of the North West England (University of Salford Archaeological Monograph 2) p. 108
  Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 206-7 (plan)
  Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 60
  Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 1 Northern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 263
  Thomas, M., 1992, A History of Brougham Hall and High Head Castle (Chichester: Phillimore & Co)
  Jackson, M.J.,1990, Castles of Cumbria (Carlisle: Carel Press) p. 61-2 (plan)
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 93
  Hudleston, C.R., Boumphrey, R.S. and Hughes, J., 1978, Cumberland Families and Heraldry (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 23) p. 279-80
  Hugill, Robert, 1977, Castles and Peles of Cumberland and Westmorland (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p. 94-5
  Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 13) p. 189, 209-10
  Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 2 p. 316-7 online copy
  Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 413 online copy
  Jefferson, S., 1838, The History and Antiquities of Carlisle (Carlisle) p. 392-3 online copy
  Lysons, Daniel and Samuel, 1816, 'Antiquities: Castles' Magna Britannia Vol. 4: Cumberland p. ccii-ccvi online transcription
  Buck, Samuel and Nathaniel, 1774, Buck's Antiquities (London) Vol. 1 p. 41
Periodical Articles
- 20-1-1984; 3-2-1985; 23-1-1987; 20-10-1989, Cumberland News
  Lowther Bouch, C.M., 1948, 'The origin and early pedigree of the Lowther family' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 48 p. 122-3 online copy
  Chippindall, W.H., 1935, 'The Baynes Family of Cockermouth' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 35 p. 32 online copy
  Martindale, J.H., 1911, 'High Head Castle, Cumberland' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 11 p. 379-84 (plan) online copy
  Cory, J.A., 1874-5, 'Highhead Castle' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 2 p. 105-8 online copy
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- 1916, Calendar of inquisitions miscellaneous (Chancery) Vol. 2 (1307-49) (London: HMSO)
  Inquisitions ad quod damnum C143/199/16 The National Archive
  Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1900, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1340-43) Vol. 5 p. 536 online copy
  Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) (lists sources for 1272-1422) p. 155
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Camden, Wm, 1607, Britannia hypertext critical edition by Dana F. Sutton (2004)
  Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p. 97
  Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 5 p. 55 online copy
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- Historic England, 2016, Heritage at Risk North West Register 2016 (London: Historic England) p. 19 online copy
  Historic England, 2015, Heritage at Risk North West Register 2015 (London: Historic England) p. 21 online copy
  English Heritage, 2014, Heritage at Risk Register 2014 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 22 online copy
  English Heritage, 2013, Heritage at Risk Register 2013 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 22 online copy
  English Heritage, 2012, Heritage at Risk Register 2012 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 36 online copy
  English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 34 online copy
  English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 32 online copy
  English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 40 online copy

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