Description

BARROW IN FURNESS

SD26SW PIEL ISLAND
708-1/8/238 Piel Castle
10/11/49

GV I

Ruins of castle. Licensed 1327, dismantled 1403, repaired
c1429 (previous list description). Cobble rubble with red
sandstone dressings. Incomplete 3-storey keep now of 2 long
cells with north gatehouse; east side collapsed. Inner defence
on 2 sides has gatehouse to west and corner towers. Less
complete outer bailey with section of wall and freestanding
towers linked by mound and ditch.
Keep: chamfered plinth; offset diagonal buttresses and
mid-point buttresses; pointed, 2-light windows originally with
quatrefoils. Vaulted gatehouse has moulded, pointed arch with
clinging figure carved on keystone; hexagonal clasping
buttresses. Internal spiral stair to left is lit by slits each
side of the buttress; wall bows out at another spiral stair on
right return. Projection at south-east corner has different
floor levels. Vaulted look-outs at corners of parapet. Inner
defence: 2-storey west gatehouse with pointed arches and 2
flights of steps against wall to north; north-west tower is
5-sided.
Furness Abbey (qv) engaged in much trade through Piel Harbour
and fortified this site soon after the Scottish invasions of
1316 and 1322. The castle provided a secure warehouse for
contraband goods including Flemish wool. Henry IV briefly took
possession but not before the abbots had the roof stripped to
ensure the King did not install revenue men. In 1487 Lambert
Simnel and an army of mercenaries landed at Piel intending to
dethrone Henry VII; their march ended in defeat at the Battle
of Stoke. By 1530 the castle had long been in ruins. Scheduled
Ancient Monument now in the care of English Heritage.
(Barnes F: Barrow and District: Barrow: 1968-: 32-33, 38).

Listing NGR: SD2330063566

External Links

• Historic England Listing

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)