Scheduled Monuments›England›Bowes Castle

Bowes Castle

England
List entry 1002318
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1002318
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.37 hectares
Grid reference
NY9923013489
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Bowes Castle is a Norman keep erected in the 1180s on the site of a Roman fort in County Durham, northern England. The castle was built by Ranulf de Glanville, a prominent justiciar of Henry II, and represents a substantial rectangular stone tower typical of late twelfth-century military architecture. The keep survives to considerable height, retaining much of its original character with evidence of vaulted chambers and a strong defensive design. Its strategic position overlooking Teesdale reflects its role as a garrison point controlling the northern approach to Yorkshire during the medieval period.

Bowes Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002318. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Bowes Castle?

Bowes Castle is a Norman keep erected in the 1180s on the site of a Roman fort in County Durham, northern England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1002318.

Who is responsible for protecting Bowes Castle?

Bowes Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1002318.

What other scheduled monuments are near Bowes Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Arkle Beck stone circle (6.9 km), A carved rock between The Stang Forest boundary wall and Woodclose Gill, 750m south east of Far East Hope, Barningham Moor (7.3 km), A rock with a cup and a groove, in the south west corner of Scale Knoll Allotment, 790m south east of Far East Hope, Barningham Moor (7.3 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Bowes Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Bowes Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Arkle Beck stone circle
6.9 km
A carved rock between The Stang Forest boundary wall and Woodclose Gill, 750m south east of Far East Hope, Barningham Moor
7.3 km
A rock with a cup and a groove, in the south west corner of Scale Knoll Allotment, 790m south east of Far East Hope, Barningham Moor
7.3 km
A cairn, a carved rock, and a rubble bank, in the south west corner of Scale Knoll Allotment, 800m south east of Far East Hope, Barningham Moor
7.3 km
Cairn on the summit of Arndale Hill, Hope Moor
7.5 km
A carved rock and boulder walling, near the south wall of Scale Knoll Allotment, 500m north east of Black Hill Gate
7.5 km
Carved rocks, cairnfield and rubble banks on the terrace south of Scale Knoll Allotment, immediately east of Black Hill Gate, Barningham Moor
7.5 km
Cairn south of Cross Gill, 645m south east of Black Hill Gate, Barningham Moor
8 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Bowes Castle

Bowes Castle stands on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

The wider landscape

Around Bowes Castle

CatterickRoman town · ~16.9 miles
Domesday entry for Lartington, Yorkshire →
All Scheduled Monuments