Castles · North West England
High Head Castle
In or near Skelton.
High Head Castle — country house, formerly castle, in Skelton, Cumbria, United Kingdom.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Dalston · 8.1 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit High Head Castle, the nearest railway station is Dalston, which is 8.1 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is CA4 0PN. Accessibility is limited for wheelchair users.
About
High Head Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Wikidata describes it as: "country house, formerly castle, in Skelton, Cumbria, United Kingdom". Coordinates: 54.7813°, -2.9300°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Eden and Tributaries SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
High Head Castle is a large fortified manor house in the English county of Cumbria located between Carlisle and Penrith. The house is now largely a ruin with the exterior walls and certain foundations surviving for the majority of the building. The right hand wing of the building has had a roof re-instated, and may be usable again for the first time since the building burnt down in the 1950s. Currently not open to the public, it is privately owned, and the owners have now for some time been trying to restore it to its former glory.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The earliest written record of the original castle is from 1272. The site was originally occupied by the king's castle in the Forest of Inglewood, a medieval square pele tower within a curtain wall. Sir William L'Engleys, descended from the family who held Little Asby, acquired Highhead Castle. He was Chief Forester of Inglewood from 1328, and was succeeded by his son Sir William whose daughter and heir, Isabel, married Nicholas Harrington. The Richmond family bought and extended the house in the 16th century. Only its western wing remains, with its unmistakable straight-headed mullioned windows with round-arched lights under hood moulds, although attached to the south-west corner of this…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 54.7813, -2.9300
- District
- Westmorland and Furness
- Parish
- Skelton
- Postcode
- CA4 0PN
- Parliamentary constituency
- Penrith and Solway
- Nearest railway station
- Dalston — 8.1 km
- Official site
- co-curate.ncl.ac.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q12060055 (CC0)
- wikipedia: High Head Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: High Head Castle.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Thistlewood Tower
Literary houses · 0.7 km
Inglewood Forest
Archaeological sites · 0.9 km
Pasturewood Holidays
Campsites · 1.0 km
Wharton Bridge
Historic bridges · 1.4 km
Ivegill
Villages · 1.5 km
Stockdalewath Bridge
Historic bridges · 2.3 km
Broadfield Mound
Archaeological sites · 2.4 km
Castle Sowerby
Castles · 3.1 km
Green Hollows
Caravan parks · 3.1 km
Thrangholm Bridge Ny 385460
Historic bridges · 3.2 km
Raughton Head War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 3.3 km
Bell Bridge
Historic bridges · 3.7 km
Nearby
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Thistlewood Tower
Thistlewood Tower — a literary house museum in scotland lowlands.
📷 3Archaeological sites · North West England
Inglewood Forest
Inglewood Forest — area in Cumbria, England, UK, formerly a royal forest.
📷 3Campsites · North West England
Pasturewood Holidays
Pasturewood Holidays — a campsite in scotland lowlands.
📷 3Historic bridges · North West England
Wharton Bridge
Wharton Bridge — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in scotland-lowlands, United Kingdom.
📷 5📷 3Historic bridges · North West England
Stockdalewath Bridge
Stockdalewath Bridge — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in scotland-lowlands, United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near High Head Castle
Places to stay
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Pasturewood Holidays
Pasturewood Holidays — a campsite in scotland lowlands.
📷 5
📷 5📷 5
📷 5Caravan parks · North West England
Riverside Touring Park
Riverside Touring Park — a caravan park in scotland lowlands.
📷 5Places to eat & drink
📷 5📷 5
📷 4Historic pubs · North West England
Oddfellows Arms
Oddfellows Arms — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.
📷 5Historic pubs · North West England
Spinners Arms
Spinners Arms in Scotland Lowlands, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · North West England
St Nicholas Arms Public House
St Nicholas Arms Public House in Scotland Lowlands, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · North West England
Horse And Farrier Public House
Horse And Farrier Public House in Scotland Lowlands, United Kingdom.
More castles in this region
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Mow Cop Castle — folly on the Cheshire and Staffordshire border, England, UK.
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Ullerwood Castle
Ullerwood Castle — castle in Greater Manchester, England.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is High Head Castle?
- High Head Castle is in the Scottish Lowlands, United Kingdom (postcode CA4 0PN), in the parish of Skelton.
- What is High Head Castle?
- High Head Castle — country house, formerly castle, in Skelton, Cumbria, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to High Head Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Dalston, about 8.1 km away. Drivers can use postcode CA4 0PN.
- Is High Head Castle a protected site?
- Yes — High Head Castle is part of the River Eden and Tributaries SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Does High Head Castle charge admission?
- High Head Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to High Head Castle?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode CA4 0PN. It sits within the Penrith and Solway parliamentary constituency.