{"id":2807,"date":"2026-11-08T17:19:12","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T17:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/?p=2807"},"modified":"2026-11-08T17:19:12","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T17:19:12","slug":"cockermouth-castle-origins-and-an-early-masonry-castle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/2026\/11\/08\/cockermouth-castle-origins-and-an-early-masonry-castle\/","title":{"rendered":"Cockermouth Castle \u00a0– origins and an early masonry castle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the first of three posts Tom Addyman looks at what they have found in the survey survey at the inner ward of Cockermouth Castle in western Cumbria provided an important opportunity to take stock of the understanding of the masonry fabric of this understudied major northern baronial castle.  This blog post looks at the origins of the defended site and the early stages of its redevelopment as a stone-built fortification and residence in the 13th<\/sup> century.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the most part Cockermouth Castle has survived as a well-preserved ruin, little changed since its partial reduction and abandonment as a principal residence following a Civil War siege and following which only two towers had been retained within the outer ward, roofed, that continued to be utilized for administrative functions.  The inner ward area was never reoccupied and has only seen occasional episodes of repair, stabilization and associated landscaping; otherwise it remains intact, mostly to wall-head level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The castle has been variously noticed by antiquarians and early castellologists with historical and descriptive accounts by Francis Grose (1774), GT Clarke (1874 and 1884), William Jackson and Rev. Canon Francis Knowles (1880), and John Curwen (1911 and 1913).  These established many of the fundamental observations about the origins, evolution and dating of the site\u2019s various components.  However since Curwen there have been no major studies of the castle.   The present project permitted a detailed record and analysis leading to refinement of thinking about the complex\u2019s structural evolution and the interpretation presented within these earlier accounts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sheer scale of the site dictated that the survey be focused upon the inner ward area at this stage.  The details of the inner ward area at this period are illustrated on plan in (Figure 3) below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Landform and general configuration of the inner ward<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cockermouth Castle, located within the town of Cockermouth in Cumbria, lies upon a naturally defensible high spur of land at the confluence of the River Derwent and the River Cocker.  The inner ward occupies the western extremity of the spur promontory, defined by the steep bluff above the Derwent to the north and by the steeply falling ground to the south and south-west (Figure 1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure<\/a> 1    Engraved view looking eastwards across the River Derwent at Cockermouth.  Samuel Buck, 1739<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The inner ward\u2019s existing curtain defines a roughly triangular area that measures 49.0m east-west by 48.5m to external wall faces, described by Curwen (1911, 127) as \u2018a spherical triangle of about 42 yards each way\u2019 (Figure 2).   The exterior perimeter curtain walls to the north and south-west converge at a slightly projecting D-shaped tower at the western salient, rounded to the exterior (west tower<\/strong>).   To the eastward (landward) side inner ward area is now defined by the substantial east range of later 14th<\/sup> century date that includes the existing inner gatehouse, lodgings to either side, and the kitchen tower to the north.  Today this landward side is approached across the site of a later ditch, itself now mostly infilled.  The inner ward courtyard is a triangular enclosure that is now open to the north and south-west curtain walls but had formerly been mostly occupied by ranges built against these curtains including a hall and chamber range to the north side.  Of 14th<\/sup> century date, these structures must certainly have occupied the site of predecessors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure<\/a> 2  General plan of the castle within its immediate setting; north to top (after Curwen 1911, 134)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Historical background<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loosely under Scottish control at the time of the Conquest, the Cockermouth area came fully under Norman rule after William II\u2019s capture of Carlisle in 1092, and from 1098 was controlled on his behalf by Ranulf Meschin (d.1129), later earl of Chester.  He, or his brother William le Meschin, between them the founders of the castles at Egremont and Appleby, probably built the first one at Cockermouth.  By complicated descent, the castle passed in 1215 to William de Forz (or de Fortibus) II, 3rd earl of Aumale (d.1241), whose Norman lands were lost in 1204 but was now a major landholder in the north of England.  Renewed Scottish incursions from 1216 may have led him to improve its defenses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An early earthwork castle<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other than Cockermouth Castle\u2019s general promontory landform and the known existence of the inner and outer ditches that sever it from the eastern, landward approach there is little observable or recorded physical evidence for what had likely been an original earthwork fortification.  One exception may be the notable level difference, of about 2m, between the inner and outer wards that may indicate the former presence of a raised earthwork such as a motte or ringwork, as variously suggested (e.g. Curwen 1913, 127), that was subsequently levelled down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The precise position of the inner defensive ditch that had defended this early fortification\u2019s eastern approach has long been deduced as having underlain the existing east range of the later 14th<\/sup> century.  Direct evidence for its more precise position comes in the form of a relieving arch present within the south curtain, see below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The existing inner ward area and upstanding structures that today define its three sides seem likely to have evolved from a predecessor configuration that was probably initially composed of earthwork and timber and, perhaps later, partly of masonry.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Events of 1221<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1221, in consequence of rebellion by William de Forz II, Henry III commanded the sheriff of Westmorland that \u2018without any delay he should summon the earls, barons, knights, and freeholders of his bailiwick, and that they should hasten to Cockermouth to besiege the castle there, and when they had taken the same, should destroy it, to its very foundations\u2019 (Curwen, 1911, 130-1).  It is not recorded to what extent the order may have been carried out.  However the limited physical evidence of the earliest iteration of the castle, primarily reused masonry (see below), seems to agree with the suggestion of a complete demolition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recycled materials and evidence for pre-existing structures<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At points within the inner ward the incorporation of recycled stonework from pre-existing structures is evident.  Some of this material seems to be Roman, such as rough-hewn blocks with cross-hatched tooling (Plate 1).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plate<\/a> 1                Detail of recycled dressed stone, Roman; within the lower interior east wall of the gatehouse. Copyright Addyman Archaeology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However the early curtain wall to the south-west incorporates multiple recycled stones in its lower parts in the area adjacent to the west tower, visible at the interior wall-face (Plate 2).  Many of these are neatly dressed, cubical blocks, of which a number display diagonal tooling and others the common moulded detail of a narrow sunken angle roll formed to a keeled profile of a type that saw currency from the mid-late 12th century.  Clearly these stones derive from a well-built source building of some architectural refinement.  Such evidence would not be inconsistent with the existence of a masonry structure within the pre-existing castle complex that may have been dismantled as part of Henry III\u2019s 1221 command to demolish the castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plate<\/a> 2  South-west curtain, lower walling section employing re-cycled building material; blocks detailed with a keeled angle roll are indicated. Copyright Addyman Archaeology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Masonry castle of the early-mid 13th century<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The earliest in situ<\/em> masonry that is recognizable on site comprises components of the inner ward\u2019s perimeter, where stratigraphic evidence defined by the present survey is broadly in accord with accounts by previous commentators.  In terms of dating, G.T.  Clark (1884, 415) noted, \u2018The foundations of the western tower, and of the greater part of its contiguous curtains, so far as they contain the upper ward, are probably Norman, and may be the work of William de Meschines, in the reign of Henry I\u2019.  However, subsequent writers assign these components to the early-mid 13th century and propose the new masonry construction to have taken place in the context of a comprehensive dismantling of existing fabric in 1221.  Curwen (1911, 132) suggests this work was carried out under William de Fortibus III (succ.1241, d.1259) \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 to isolate the site effectually, William excavated a very wide ditch, connecting the cliff of the Derwent with the sloping bank of the Cocker.  Within this area the castle formed a spherical triangle of about 42 yards each way, with its angles capped by circular bastion towers.   The basement of the present west tower is of this period; so also is some 14 feet high of the present south curtain and the lower portion of the north curtain.   The footings of the eastern curtain also remain, but the most interesting point to note is the one door jamb, which still remains erect, sufficient to reveal to us where the gatehouse of this early castle stood \u2026.  An outer bailey existed surrounded by a timber palisade. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The present study broadly confirms this assessment with the exception of the door jamb which it is now suggested may be a secondary insertion of the later 14th<\/sup> century.  If that is the case then the location and configuration of the 13th<\/sup> century entrance to the inner ward remains an open question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Curtain walls<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As recognized by Curwen and others these works include the lower walling sections incorporated within the existing inner ward\u2019s curtain walling to the north and south-west; this is of somewhat mixed rubble build and contains few features other than remains of three pilaster buttresses rising from plinths to the south-west exterior and possible evidence for others to the north curtain\u2019s exterior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The inner, courtyard-facing side of the existing east range incorporates walling that had probably been of similar character but has now been much reduced and had seen secondary re-facing in most areas.  Better evidence for the form of this east curtain survives as a silhouette of the wall preserved in section on the north side of the bell tower, including its wall walk and parapet (Plate 5, below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

West tower<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of the lower stage and parts of the exterior skin of the west tower<\/strong> at first floor level is of demonstrably early fabric, faced externally with well-cut dressings that rise from a plinth.  The interior is rounded and features three embrasures of which two still preserve plunging loops with lower fish-tail termini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plate 3: Interior of west tower \u2013 lower stage looking south-west Copyright Addyman Archaeology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Plate 4: Exterior of west tower \u2013 detail of early loop. Copyright Addyman Archaeology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bell tower<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other major survival from this period is the bell tower<\/strong>, which stands almost to its full height.  This is located at a key point of the defensive perimeter of the inner ward, at its south-east angle, the point of junction with the exterior scarp and the defensive ditch immediately to the east.  The tower is also faced with well-cut squared dressings, its walling rising from what seems to have been a massively constructed basal batter (Plate 5 – D). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plate<\/a> 5  North side of the bell tower showing evidence for the original east curtain wall where it had converged (A), and associated features \u2013 (B) wall walk, (C) parapet, (D) silhouette of possible batter to tower base, (E) jamb of entrance \u2013 possibly secondary. Copyright Addyman Archaeology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Of solid construction below, the tower\u2019s upper stage features a chamber with entrances accessible from the south-west and east curtain wall-walks.  The tower top seems to have been remodelled and its original configuration lost.   The chamber\u2019s entrances are of distinctive character, with relieving arches over, not inconsistent with an earlier 13th<\/sup> century date, Plate 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plate<\/a> 6  Bell tower – detail of entrance to north side of upper stage. Copyright Addyman Archaeology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The contrast between the constructional character of the principal features of the walled circuit, the bell tower<\/strong> and west tower<\/strong>, faced with cut stone, and that of the rubble masonry employed for the general construction of the curtain walling is marked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A further wall section of similar rubble character forms a continuation of the south curtain that extends eastwards from the side of the bell tower and seems to have closed off the south end of the early ditch before continuing beyond it as part of a curtain circuit that had enclosed the outer ward.  Within the outer ward area excavations in the early 20th<\/sup> century revealed what was interpreted as a footing for a circular tower at the south-east angle of the outer ward\u2019s circuit, an apparent predecessor to the existing flag tower<\/strong>, of later 14th<\/sup> century date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The lower part of the curtain wall section adjacent to the bell tower preserves a broad relieving arch, rubble-built of large blocks, Plate 7.  It appears to have been intended to provide structural support where the curtain crossed the area of the defensive ditch.  In apparent corroboration of this interpretation there is a discernible sag in the coursing of the masonry below the arch.  An opening at higher level within this curtain section seems to be coeval with it and may have functioned as a postern, perhaps accessed internally by means of a gantry arrangement; externally the scarp slope rises to the level of the entrance.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plate<\/a> 7     Section of south-west curtain as seen within the south lodging block; relieving arch indicated. Copyright Addyman Archaeology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Figure 3  Plan of the inner ward area showing locations of surviving features of earlier date discussed in the text, highlighted in red (Addyman Archaeology 2026)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though now reduced to large fragments of its curtain wall and two towers enough still survives to demonstrate the masonry castle of the early-mid 13th<\/sup> century to have been a substantial construction whose circuit had encompassed the footprint of the existing inner and outer wards and whose defensive arrangement provided the underlying structure that governed the character of the castle\u2019s subsequent development in the 14th<\/sup> century.  There is little physical indication within the standing fabric for the interior structures at this period although significant evidence may survive below ground.  It also remains an open question as to nature of the early access arrangements to each of the wards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following blog will examine the redevelopment of the castle in the mid part of the 14th<\/sup> century under the de Lucy family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tom Addyman, drawing upon historical research by Edward Impey<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark GT 1874 \u2018Cockermouth Castle\u2019 in The Builder, Vol.  32, 944-7<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark GT 1884 Medieval Military Architecture in England, 2 vols., London, vol.  1, 409-18<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curwen JF 1911 \u2018Cockermouth Castle\u2019, TCWAAS, 11, 129-158<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curwen JF 1913 Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland and Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands : CWAAS Extra Series 13, 127-33<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grose F 1775 (new edition of 1756 original), Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol.  1, 49-51<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowles Rev Canon and Jackson W 1880 ‘A Descriptive Account of Cockermouth Castle’ in TCWAAS Vol.  4, 130-38<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the first of three posts Tom Addyman looks at what they have found in the survey survey at the inner ward of Cockermouth Castle in western Cumbria provided an important opportunity to take stock of the understanding of the masonry fabric of this understudied major northern baronial castle.  This blog post looks at the … Continue reading Cockermouth Castle \u00a0– origins and an early masonry castle<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[550,9,1],"tags":[99,554,588,398,213,598,597,599],"class_list":["post-2807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2026-grants","category-england","category-uncategorized","tag-appleby","tag-cockermouth","tag-egremont","tag-henry-i","tag-henry-iii","tag-ranulf-meshin","tag-william-de-fortibus","tag-william-le-meschin"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2807"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2807\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2820,"href":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2807\/revisions\/2820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/castlestudiestrust.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}