Wraysholme Tower, Lower Allithwaite

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Raysholm; Rasome; Razin; Bazin

In the civil parish of Lower Allithwaite.
In the historic county of Lancashire (Modern Authority of Cumbria, 1974 county of Cumbria).

Pele tower dating from 1485, was originally attached to the south side of Wraysholme Hall, and is all that now remains of this hunting lodge. The rough limestone tower, rectangular in shape, which is 39ft high, has walls some 4ft thick, bonded together with a mixture of lime & bullocks blood. Has a small projecting garderobe tower at the south-east corner and a parapet and corner turrets at roof level. A good example of peel tower unaltered by post-medieval domestic use. The hall is believed to have been built by the Harrington family of Gleaston, of which Sir James Harrington supported Richard III during the war of the Roses, culminating in his estates being seized and given to the Stanleys, later to become 'The Earls of Derby'.

This site has been described as a;
Tower House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 77025)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SD38327542

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; 39545

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 2414

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_north/96/wraysholmetower.htm
    http://www.visitcumbria.com/sl/wraysholmetower.htm
• Books
  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (CWAAS) p372
    Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern) p95
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p273
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p248
    Gibson, Leslie Irving, 1977, Lancashire Castles and Towers (Dalesman Books)
    Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1969, Lancashire, 2. The rural north (Harmondsworth) p122
    Farrer, William and Brownbill, J. (eds), 1914, VCH Lancaster Vol8 p267-8
    Fishwick, 1907, in Fishwick and Ditchfield (eds), Memorials of Old Lancashire Vol2 p19 [weak]
    Baines, 1870, History of Lancashire (London) Vol2 p685
• Journal Articles
  • McDowell, 1976, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol76 p216-19