Shank Castle

Description

Shank Castle was demolished in 1951/2, owing to the dangerous state of the fabric. Dating evidence is derived from Thomas Denton's report to Lord William Howard, stating that it was built by Sir William Hutton when steward to George, Earl of Cumberland, who died in 1605. Hutton lived at Shank for some twenty years, and was an old man in 1622. "Nevertheless, Curwen hazarded the guess that it was a pele-tower of earlier date, adapted by Sir William, and McIntire sought to demonstrate this by alleged differences in the measurements of the walls. But neither the plan nor any structural details suggested that this was so, either to the writer or to Mr. F.C. Vickery, who made the survey before demolition. There is, moreover, no known mention of the castle before the 17th century." It is not known when the castle became a farmhouse and when it was finally deserted for the adjoining smaller house. Lysons, in 1816, describes it as a ruin; it was used as a storehouse until recently. The castle was a rectangular tower, 52 ft. long by 29 ft. 6 in. wide, and about 37 ft. high to the top of the parapet. The longer axis lay NE-SW; there was no trace of an enclosure having been bonded into any of the walls, which were of roughly squared and coursed rubble. The tower had four floors; the first floor contained the principal living rooms and the main entrance door. There were no dates, initials, or armorial devices. The form of the parapet is uncertain as it was largely destroyed, but whatever its form it was not an even series of battlements (PastScape–ref. Rigold 1954)

The demense lands are called the Shank, where are ruins of an old castle, so decayed as not to be worth a particular description. (Hutchinson, 1794)

Comments

This was large and late for a pele tower and is better described as a tower house, in the sense of being an integral building rather than a solar block attached to a hall, although it was a gentry status rather than baronial building. A C19 watercolour shows a Scottish style tower house of 4-5 storeys.
Said to be marked 'waikelli' on 1590 map, without a symbol, but this seems to a mistranscribing of Lord Burghley's difficult handwriting of bracke'hill i.e. Brackenhill Tower Is marked as a tower 'Shanke' on 1607 map.
Was demolished by the owner despite the offer of financial assistance for repair in 1952. Had it been repaired its conversion it suitable modern accommodation would have been relatively easy and it would have, undoubtable, been a sought after property.