Gleaston Castle

From the 12th century the manor of Muchland was administered from Aldingham Castle. Muchland became known as Aldingham manor and in 1291 it came into the ownership of the Harrington family. In the 14th century, the Scots attacked the Furness peninsula during the Scottish Wars of Independence; around the same time coastal erosion threatened Aldingham Motte. These factors may have led to the Harrington family abandoning Aldingham and establishing the administrative centre of the manor at the newly built Gleaston Castle, though the construction work could have been the result of their growing social status, and they may have needed more room for a greater number of servants. in Cartmel…

Gleaston Castle was abandoned, perhaps around a century after its construction. As a result, the standing remains are an example of 14th-century architecture which has not been adapted by later occupation. The remains consist largely of limestone, which was quarried locally, while sandstone was used for doors and windows. The sandstone may have been recovered from a beach 2 mi from the castle as there is no local source of sandstone. This method of using red sandstone for architectural details can also be seen at Piel Castle near Barrow-in-Furness. The castle was a walled enclosure 240 ft long north and south, 120 ft wide at the south end and 150 ft wide at the north end. It had four corner…