Castle Howe is the site of Kendal's original, motte and bailey castle and can be found hidden between Beast Banks and Gillingate, tucked away behind buildings but easily accessed via a number of footpaths. It's about twenty minutes walk from the town centre. There's not much to see apart from the hump of the motte and evidence of defensive ditches. The remains of the bailey are now parkland.
Thoughtfully, there is a plaque showing an artist's impression of what the motte and bailey castle would have looked like in Norman times, with an exlanation of what a motte and bailey castle is and why there are so many around.
The monument on the top of the motte isn't a war memorial, but an obelisk commemmorating the centenary of the Glorious Revolution of 1688. I think it would be safe to assume that the monument wasn't erected by Jacobite sympathisers or Catholics.
There's a good view to be had across the valley where you can see Kendal's other castle on the hill opposite. You can almost imagine someone looking across at the tempting-looking mound of high ground commanding the river and thinking, "There's a good spot to build a nice stone castle over there. Shall we move? Should I nip down to Lancaster and obtain a 'Licence to Crenellate'?"
No comments:
Post a Comment