Burton in Lonsdale Castle Hill

In the civil parish of Burton in Lonsdale.
In the historic county of Yorkshire West Riding (Modern Authority of North Yorkshire, 1974 county of North Yorkshire).

Motte and bailey castle surviving as an earthwork, which went out of use between 1322 and 1369. It originated as a ringwork in C12. A very fine motte and bailey, and is unique in the perfect presentation of the 11ft high breastwork round the summit of the 32ft high motte, a nearby square bailey, 190ft by 170ft is situated on the west and a semi-lunar bailey, 70ft wide on the south. The site was excavated in 1904 and the motte, baileys, ditches and banks had all been paved.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
Masonry Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SD65007213

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 44056

County Sites and Monuments Record number; NYM20682

• Web site links
  • http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/heritage/castle/chill3.asp
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles and Tower Houses of Yorkshire (Malvern) p26
    Ingham, Bernard, 2001, Bernard Ingham's Yorkshire Castles (Dalesman) p17
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p310 [slight]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p514-5
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p197
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Illingworth, J.L., 1938 (republished 1970), Yorkshire's Ruined Castles (Wakefield)
    Armitage and Montgomerie, 1912, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Yorkshire Vol2 p27-9
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
• Journal Articles
  • Higham, Mary, 1991, 'The Mottes of North Lancashire, Lonsdale and South Cumbria' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol91 p79-90
    Moorhouse, S., 1971, Yorkshire Archaeological Journal Vol43 p85-98
    King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    White, 1905, The Antiquary Vol41 p411-7
    (White), 1905, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Archaeological Society Vol5 p283-5, 309