Drumburgh Castle

DRUMBURGH CASTLE

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1144623
Date first listed:
11-Apr-1967
List Entry Name:
Drumburgh Castle
Statutory Address:
DRUMBURGH CASTLE
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Location

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Date:
2004-02-16
Reference:
IOE01/11652/02
Rights:
© Mr John Wright. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1144623
Date first listed:
11-Apr-1967
List Entry Name:
Drumburgh Castle
Statutory Address 1:
DRUMBURGH CASTLE

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
DRUMBURGH CASTLE

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
Cumberland (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Bowness
National Grid Reference:
NY 26577 59765

Details

NY 25 NE BOWNESS Drumburgh

6/22 Drumburgh Castle 11/4/67

I

Tower House, now farmhouse. C13, licence to crenellate granted to Robert le Brun 24 August 1307. Alterations originally dated 1518 with initials and coat of arms of Thomas Lord Dacre over entrance; further alterations between 1678 and 1681 for John Aglionby and C19 additions. Extremely thick walls of squared and coursed red sandstone (from the nearby Roman Wall) on chamfered plinth, parapet over entrance with carved stone eagle finials; steeply pitched graduated greenslate roof with coped gables, brick chimney stacks. 3 storeys (formerly 4 storeys), 5 bays; single-storey single-bay extension to left. C19 gabled brick porch with Welsh slate roof; to right is a blocked round-headed C13 window. C13 blocked round-headed ground floor entrance is partly covered by C16 or C17 external stone steps to first floor. 1517 entrance; iron-studded oak plank door could be original (with later internal lock dated and inscribed J.L. 1681) in pointed-arched and chamfered surround with carved stone panel of arms above. Ground floor and first floor sash windows with glazing bars in enlarged C16 openings. Continuous row of blocked slit vents above. Second floor C16 2-light stone-mullioned windows now have Yorkshire sashes with mullions removed; blocked third floor windows slightly above and between these windows. Rear wall has similar windows and blocked windows. End wall right, which was in danger of collapse, was completely taken down in the late 1970's and rebuilt in facsimile, with broad central buttress and corbelled-out battlemented parapet, which may have been the remains of medieval crenellation. Floor levels of interior changed in C16 and Cl7: many original features will be covered by later plasterwork. First floor C17 wood-panelled room. Interior of rebuilt end is entirely of breeze blocks and open from floor to roof; roof of king-post trusses could be C16. See Curwen, Castles & Towers of Cumberland & Westmorland, 1913, pp202-3; Medieval Archaeology, vol xxiii, 1979, p270. Extension to left of Roman Wall stone and cobbles with greenslate roof. End wall has plank doors and slatted openings.

Listing NGR: NY2657759765

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
71900
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Curwen, J F, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland and Westmorland, (1913), 202-3
Medieval Archaeology in Medieval Archaeology, Vol. 23, (1979), 270

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Drumburgh Castle

Map

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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