Scaleby Castle

Scaleby Castle is in the village of Scaleby, Cumbria. Originally built in the early 14th century, it was extended in the 15th century to form a substantial fortification. The castle was attacked twice and burnt by Parliamentary troops during the English Civil War, but later restored to form a country house.

Details
Scaleby Castle was built after 1307 by Robert de Tilliol next to the village of Scaleby, six miles from Carlisle. The Tilliols were a well established family in the region from the reign of Henry I onwards, and Robert was given the land for the castle by Edward I and granted the authority to build a castle by Edward II. The initial castle comprised two sets of buildings, linked by a small courtyard and protected by a curtain wall on both sides, surrounded by a large, circular, water-filled moat approximately 7.5 m wide, and an inner moat, since largely destroyed.

The male Tilliol line died out in 1435, and the castle passed by marriage to the Colville family. They rebuilt much of the castle in the late 15th century, including remodelling the pele tower, the great hall and the gateway, complete with a polygonal barbican. The pele tower formed substantial fortification, around 40 feet by 30 feet across, with three floors and thick walls. The Musgrave family acquired the castle and Sir Edward Musgrave rebuilt the south range of the castle in 1596.

In 1641 the English Civil War broke out between the Royalist supporters of Charles I and Parliament. Sir Edward's grandson, another Sir Edward Musgrave, was a strong Royalist supporter and declared for the king. In February 1645, Parliamentary forces besieging nearby Carlisle also besieged and eventually seized Scaleby Castle, causing considerable damage; Edward recovered the castle, but in at the start of the Second English Civil War in 1648 he again took up arms on behalf of the king. This time the castle fell to Parliamentary forces immediately, and was set on fire by the attacking troops.

Heavily in debt, Sir Edward sold the castle after the war to Dr Richard Gilpin, who restored the property. The property remained in the hand of the Gilpins until it fell into disrepair; it was restored once again by Rowland Fawcett and acquired by the Standish family as a country house. Today the castle is a grade I listed building and a scheduled monument.