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Cashtal Lager

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Ballagawne

In the parish of Lonan.
On the Isle of Man.

OS Map Grid Reference: SC42708169
Latitude 54.20675° Longitude -4.41331°

Cashtal Lager has been described as a Timber Castle although is doubtful that it was such, and also as a Fortified Manor House although is doubtful that it was such, and also as a probable Uncertain.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a archaeological monument protected by law.
Description

'The Cashtal' - Alleged IA promontory fort or Viking or later defended house or granary
(SC 42708169) Fort (NR) (OS record).
Protected Monument. A small peninsular fort about 15ft by 42ft. Walls 2ft high and 3-4ft wide (Kermode).
The Cashtal, Ballagawne. A small promontory fort, defended on one side by a ditch (now filled in). Most of the fortified area is occupied by the ruins of a large rectangular stone-faced building, though this was not the earliest building on the site. Excavation by Bersu in 1941 revealed four parallel rows of posts to support a raised floor. He concluded that it was probably a defended house site or possibly a fortified granary, of late Norse or early medieval times (Bersu)
The situation is typical of a Manx promontory fort but there is a lackof ground evidence to support this classification. The main element is a steep natural rocky bluff extending from a pasture field into a small valley. As a defensive site, no protective earthworks are necessary except on the NE side to protect the landward approach. There is now no trace of earthworks, but a sloping field surface around the bluff could indicate the former existence of defences now ploughed or silted up. The summit of the bluff is almost entirely occupied by the footings of a building measuring 7.0m wide and 15.0m in length NE-SW. The wall is approx 1.6m wide and is overgrown with turf and shrubs but occasional rough rubble walling is discernible. A gap in the centre of the NE end is probably an original entrance. The sides of the building are almost co-incident with the sides of the bluff and no rampart or other feature that might antedate the building are evident. Below the bluff are the remains of a dam and traces of a silted-up mill race. A water-mill exists some 200m to the SE and it seems likely that the stream has served a succession of mills. If such is the case, Bersu's suggestion of a fortified granary occupying the site seem feasible (F1 ECW 10.12.76). (PastScape)

Comments (by Philip Davis)

The stream below the Cashtel has been damned in the past to produce water mills, for grain grinding, hence the suggestion of a fortified granary. Whilst it is sure there was a granary at this site (as at most sites of this date) it is unlikely to have existed on its own and some habitation is likely to have been here also.
Called a 'possible' castle by King (1983) although he tended to use this term for sites for which he had significant doubts.
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Sources of information, references and further reading
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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.
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This record last updated on Tuesday, August 11, 2015
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