Millom Castle is an ancient building at

Millom Millom is a town and civil parish on the north shore of the estuary of the River Duddon in southwest Cumbria, historically part of Cumberland, England. It is situated just outside the Lake District National Park, about north of Barrow-in-Furnes ...

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. C ...

. It is a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

and

scheduled ancient monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

History

A manor on the site was granted to Godard de Boyvill, owner of the Manor of Millom, in around 1134. The manor came into the Hudleston family's ownership in around 1240 when de Boyvill's granddaughter married into the Hudleston family. John Hudleston was given a licence to

crenellate A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interv ...

in 1335. The great tower dates from the 16th or perhaps 17th century. The Hudlestones took an active part in England's regional warfare. In the

Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...

, Sir John Hudlestone fought on the Yorkist side, being present at the Battle of Blore Heath in 1459, and also the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. In 1460 Millom Castle was captured by Lancastrian forces. After the accession of Henry VII, Sir John and his son Henry secured a pardon and retained the estate. In the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

of the 1600s, Sir William Hudlestone was a leading Royalist colonel in Cumberland and Lancashire. He was defeated by Parliamentarian forces, and Millom Castle damaged by cannon fire in 1644. Heavy fines exacted by victorious Parliament began the slide of the Hudlestons into debt. By 1739 the castle walls were in dilapidated condition. In 1748, Elizabeth Huddleston sold the castle to Sir James Lowther of Whitehaven. The gatepiers were added in the 17th or 18th century. The great tower is now used as a farmhouse.

Architecture

The stone building has ashlar dressings and slate roofs. The east side has a gatehouse and 17th-century steps. The west side has a pointed entrance. Various barns and outhouses have been attached to the north and west sides. It has the remains of a moat to the north and west.

References

{{Coord, 54.2210, -3.2725, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Castles in Cumbria Grade I listed buildings in Cumbria Grade I listed houses Millom

History

Architecture

See also

References