|
Architectural
Key Points
Evidence
suggests that the site was inhabited prior to the construction of
the 16th century tower and this could date from the 13th century
or earlier, but archaeological surveys need to be done to establish
what kind of dwelling would have been on the site. The date of 1584
is quite late for a tower to be built, so this would suggest that
there was another building on the site.
Brackenhill
is an exceptional example of the fortified tower house of the Anglo-Scots
border. It is a unique example of a Scots vernacular tower in an
English setting and is remarkable for its state of preservation.
Arguably
the best-preserved 16th century tower house in Cumbria, its external
elevations are virtually unaltered from its original state. Whilst
there were many towers built in the Scots vernacular tradition -
most of those have ended up being officially Scottish once the border
was drawn. So, Brackenhill Tower is unique in its intactness and
extremely rare to be a tower in the Scottish style sitting on English
soil.
Whilst
the tower's interior was recast in the mid-19th century, original
features appear to have been preserved wherever possible. It is
likely much awaits discovery behind the plaster.
Brackenhill
Tower is a pele tower (English)/tower house (Scottish). A small
fortified building, characteristic of the English Scottish border,
intended for protection against raiders rather than to withstand
a siege. The term is hard to define with precision and is often
used fairly loosely, sometimes being applied to non-tower like structure
i.e. wider or longer than they are high, that could rather be described
as bastle.
The
tower's walls are five feet thick and rise to forty feet in height.
It has a double gabled roof and is surrounding by corbelled and
battlemented parapet.
The
land around Brackenhill Tower is in a good defensive position, with
large ravines to the North and the South. No matter how rich or
powerful a Border leader might become he needed a tower at least
for his personal safety and to provide a rallying point and defensive
centre for his dependants.
In
the border regions of both Northern England and Scotland the tower
house was adopted as a response to the absolute necessity for an
owner to be able to provide effective and inexpensive protection
for himself and his family during the turbulent times of the later
Middle Ages when there was a perpetual state of conflict between
the native Scots and the English invaders (and Scottish reivers
coming the other way across the border!). Brackenhill Tower would
be a meeting point for Richie Graham's clan to gather before a raid
and a safe, defensive stronghold to return to.
Their
great virtue was their simplicity and strength. They were impervious
to fire from the outside, or anything less than artillery or sustained
siege.
Pele
towers were numerous across the border region. Their name derives
from the fact that the original towers were built with palisade
made up of "piles" or wooden pales. Although it was not
common to build them of masonry until the sixteenth century, there
are some much earlier stone examples in the 14th Century.
The
date 1584 above the door would relate to the construction of the
greater part of the fabric of the tower as its stands today. This
was built by Richie Graham. Although some earlier material may have
been re-used, none of the standing fabric seems to pre-date this.
When the roof of the 1860 porch addition collapsed the Graham coat
of arms was re-exposed, clearly indicating this house was built
and owned by the Graham clan.
When
first erected, its is likely that in additions to the self-defensive
tower, earlier buildings like a kitchen range may have stood on
the site and being enclosed by a wall, palisade and/or ditch. Further
archaeological investigation may reveal this.
The
tower comprised:
• A vaulted basement, with a ground floor entrance at the foot
of the newel stair.
• The principal living room, the hall - as on the first floor,
which at this stage was probably a single undivided chamber
• A pair of chambers on the floor above.
• The original arrangements at attic level are unclear.
|
