Caernarvon Castle, Beckermet

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Coneygarth Cop

In the civil parish of St John Beckermet.
In the historic county of Cumberland (Modern Authority of Cumbria, 1974 county of Cumbria).

Caernarvon Castle is the site of a castle originally the seat of Sir Michael Fleming. It has been interpreted by Collingwood as a Norman Moated Mound and latterly published on OS mapping as a Motte and Bailey. It was partly excavated in 1957, but these investigations have not been published. The castle was abandoned circa 1250 and pulled down. It was recorded as a rectangular ruin in 1671. King describes this a low shapeless mound, not a motte, and he rejects it as a castle. Jackson says site is ploughed down and that excavation in 1962 revealed evidence of a form of palisading

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY021073

Books

Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern) p29
Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (CWAAS)
Jackson, M.J.,1990, Castles of Cumbria (Carel Press) p37-8
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p96 [reject]
Parker, C.A., 1926, The Gosforth District (Kendal) p127-31
Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal) p21-2

Journal Articles

1926, Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society [extra ser] Vol15 p127-31
Parker, C.A., 1903, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol3 p217-8,220-221
Ferguson, R.S., (ed), 1889, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol3 p6-9

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Caernarvon Castle, Beckermet

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY021073

Sources of information, references and further reading