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Armathwaite Castle, Armathwaite
Armathwaite Castle
locality:-   Armathwaite
civil parish:-   Hesket (formerly Cumberland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   buildings
locality type:-   pele tower
locality type:-   castle (once) 
coordinates:-   NY50564586
1Km square:-   NY5045
10Km square:-   NY54

photograph
BNI30.jpg (taken 9.3.2007)  
photograph
CEU66.jpg (taken 8.4.2016)  
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Cmd 31) 
placename:-  Armathwaite Castle
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
evidence:-   old map:- Saxton 1579
placename:-  Armathwate Castle
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmorlandiae et Cumberlandiae Comitatus ie Westmorland and Cumberland, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by Christopher Saxton, London, engraved by Augustinus Ryther, 1576, published 1579-1645.
image
Sax9NY54.jpg
Building with two towers, symbol for a castle.  "Armathwate cast:"
item:-  private collection : 2
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Mercator 1595 (edn?) 
placename:-  Armanthwate Castle
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Northumbria, Cumberlandia, et Dunelmensis Episcopatus, ie Northumberland, Cumberland and Durham etc, scale about 6.5 miles to 1 inch, by Gerard Mercator, Duisberg, Germany, about 1595.
image
MER8CumD.jpg
"Armanthwate ca."
circle, building and tower 
item:-  JandMN : 169
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Speed 1611 (Cmd) 
placename:-  Armanthwat Castle
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Cumberland and the Ancient Citie Carlile Described, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by John Speed, 1610, published by J Sudbury and George Humble, Popes Head Alley, London, 1611-12.
image
SP11NY54.jpg
"Armanthwat cas."
circle, buildings, tower 
item:-  private collection : 16
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   probably table of distances:- Simons 1635
placename:-  Armanthwait Castle
source data:-   Table of distances, uncoloured engraving, Cumberland, with a thumbnail map, scale about 41 miles to 1 inch, by Mathew Simons, published in A Direction for the English Traviller, 1635.
image  click to enlarge
SIM4.jpg
"Arma~thwait Ca: SE."
and tabulated distances; A on thumbnail map? 
item:-  private collection : 50.11
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Jansson 1646
placename:-  Armanth Watcast
placename:-  Armanthwaite Castle
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Cumbria and Westmoria, ie Cumberland and Westmorland, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, by John Jansson, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1646.
image
JAN3NY54.jpg
"Armanth Watcast"
Buildings and tower, no flag. 
item:-  JandMN : 88
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Morden 1695 (Cmd) 
placename:-  Armanthwate Castle
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Cumberland, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Robert Morden, 1695, published by Abel Swale, the Unicorn, St Paul's Churchyard, Awnsham, and John Churchill, the Black Swan, Paternoster Row, London, 1695-1715.
image
MD12NY54.jpg
"Armanthwate Cast"
Circle, building with two towers. 
item:-  JandMN : 90
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Simpson 1746
placename:-  Armathwaite Castle
placename:-  Armathwaite
source data:-   Atlas, three volumes of maps and descriptive text published as 'The Agreeable Historian, or the Compleat English Traveller ...', by Samuel Simpson, 1746.
image SMP4P190, button  goto source
"Armathwaite-Castle, belonging to the Skeltons, ..."
image SMP4P197, button  goto source
"... Armathwaite, the Seat of John Skelton, Esq; ..."
evidence:-   old map:- Bowen and Kitchin 1760
placename:-  Armanthwayte Castle
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, A New Map of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland Divided into their Respective Wards, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Emanuel Bowen and Thomas Kitchin et al, published by T Bowles, Robert Sayer, and John Bowles, London, 1760.
image
BO18NY54.jpg
"Armanthwayte Ca."
circle and line 
item:-  Armitt Library : 2008.14.10
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Donald 1774 (Cmd) 
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, 3x2 sheets, The County of Cumberland, scale about 1 inch to 1 mile, by Thomas Donald, engraved and published by Joseph Hodskinson, 29 Arundel Street, Strand, London, 1774.
image
D4NY54NW.jpg
"Castle / Milbourne Esq."
large building; a castle at Armathwaite 
item:-  Carlisle Library : Map 2
Image © Carlisle Library
evidence:-   old text:- Clarke 1787
placename:-  Armathwaite Castle
source data:-   Guide book, A Survey of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, written and published by James Clarke, Penrith, Cumberland, and in London etc, 1787; published 1787-93.
image CL13P105, button  goto source
Page 105:-  "..."
"I do not find any ancient authors mention a castle here [Castlerigg], Speed, who speaks of twenty-five in Cumberland, hath found out every one I ever heard or knew of, except Kirkoswald; how that has escaped him I cannot tell. I shall here put down their names, and, as well as I can, their most ancient owners, and supposed founders."
"..."
image CL13P106, button  goto source
Page 106:-  "..."
"11 ARMATHWAITE. Some say William Rufus, only because he built and endowed an Abbey near it; others the Romans, now William Millbourn's, Esquire."
"..."
evidence:-   old text:- Camden 1789
placename:-  Armanthwayte Castle
source data:-   Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
image CAM2P174, button  goto source
Page 174:-  "..."
"... Armanthwayte, a castle of the Skeltons ..."
evidence:-   old text:- Camden 1789 (Gough Additions) 
placename:-  Armathwaite Castle
item:-  sword
source data:-   Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
image CAM2P191, button  goto source
Page 191:-  "..."
"Armathwaite castle belongs to William Milborne, esq., by inheritance of Robert Sanderson, who bought it of Richard Shelton, esq., 1712, whose grandfather rebuilt and endowed the chapel here. In the castle was preserved in Mr. Machel's time a broad sword with a basket hilt; on one side of the blade EDWARDUS, on the other PRINS ANGLIE. It was probably left there in Edward I's time, and the prince might lodge here when his father's headquarters were at Lanercost. ..."
evidence:-   road book:- Cary 1798 (2nd edn 1802) 
placename:-  Armathwaite Castle
source data:-   Road book, itineraries, Cary's New Itinerary, by John Cary, 181 Strand, London, 2nd edn 1802.
image CY38p273, button  goto source
image  click to enlarge
C38273.jpg
page 273-274  "About 2 Miles on the r. of High Hesket is Armathwaite Castle, William Milburn, Esq. ..."
image CY38p289, button  goto source
image  click to enlarge
C38289.jpg
page 289-290  "About 2 Miles on the r. of High Hesket is Armathwaite Castle, William Milburn, Esq."
item:-  JandMN : 228.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843) 
placename:-  Armathwaite Castle
source data:-   Guide book, A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by Rev William Ford, published by Charles Thurnam, Carlisle, by W Edwards, 12 Ave Maria Lane, Charles Tilt, Fleet Street, William Smith, 113 Fleet Street, London, by Currie and Bowman, Newcastle, by Bancks and Co, Manchester, by Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, and by Sinclair, Dumfries, 1839.
image FD01P125, button  goto source
Page 125:-  "..."
"... [Armathwaite] Castle is a plain square tower, standing on the river's bank, fitted up so as to meet the wants and comforts of modern refinement. The chapel of ease is a rude picturesque edifice, in the patronage of the owners of the Castle, ..."
evidence:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
placename:-  Armathwaite Castle
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"ARMATHWAITE CASTLE / / / HESKET / EDEN / CUMBRIA / II[star] / 73864 / NY5057245873"

photograph
CEU65.jpg (taken 8.4.2016)  
hearsay:-  
 Four storey pele tower with 18th century, georgian, additions. Owned by the Skelton Family up to 1712. About the time of Edward II to Henry VIII, the Skeltons represented the county of Cumberland in Parliament. John Skelton was poet laureate to Henry VIII.
Closed to visits.
notes:-  
 15th century tower

Perriam, D R &Robinson, J: 1998: Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria: CWAAS:: ISBN 1 873124 23 6; plan and elevation
hearsay:-  
 This is said to be where King Arthur slew the Giant of Castle Ewain.
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