The Dormont Book of Carlisle
Unlawful Games 59- Item, if any person or persons suffer hereafter any unlawful games to be played at or within his house or garden shall forfeit for every time. And the player at the same…
Curwen reiver family of Workington armed to raid the Scots
Curwen reivers of Workington steal the gates of Carlaverock Castle etc. The Curwens have been listed among the reiving families of the 16th century, and records show how forces were raised and armed to fight…
Kinmont Willie Escapes from Carlisle Castle
A STORY ABOUT THE REIVER KINMONT WILLY Text from the story telling of Peter Shaw, at Carlisle Castle. Click here for violent life and grave slab (Click here for Audio version ) [Click for song…
Sir Walter Scott Links with Carlisle
SIR WALTER SCOTT'S LINKS WITH CARLISLE Had it not been for Scott's collecting and reworking of many of the border ballads, much of the tradition, character and mythology of the Reiver story would be lost.…
Hazelslack Tower Cumbria
Hazelslack Tower Cumbria The substantial remains of this interesting little L-shaped Border tower-house stand about a mile east of Arnside in Cumbria. The tall tower of four storeys is roughly built from limestone rubble and…
Arnside Tower Cumbria
Arnside Tower. Arnside Tower, Arnside, Cumbria, drawing from a 1986 sketchbook by Pete Armstrong. Arnside Tower stands about a mile from the town of Arnside on the River Kent, near the northern end of Morecambe…
The Church in Cumbria hammered by the Scots
The Church in Cumbria hammered by the Scots! From the time of the early church to the time of the union between England and Scotland in 1603, there was trouble from Scottish invaders. Until 1157…
Reiver Truce Days and Locations
Reiver Days of Truce and Locations The Wardens of opposing Marches agreed upon a day and place of meeting usually on the frontier but sometimes elsewhere. In the west, Dumfries and Carlisle were convenient venues,…
Reiver Routes
Reiving Routes The following text is from text in the Callendar of Border Papers and dates from the 16th century. It gives an impression of the routes that Reivers may have taken on their raids…
Complaints of Losses from Reiver Raiders
Record of Theft, Damage, Injury and Cost of Raids by Reivers These are some of the complaints made by victims of raids by Scottish and English Reivers at the end of the 16th century. The…
Rules to Protect Carlisle from Scots
Rules to Defend Border Towns - Carlisle Scotland and England feared theft and invasion from each other. Towns were where the wealth resided, thus invaders and thieves sought to strip towns of their valuables. Towns…
Battle of Solway Moss 1542
Solway Moss, The Battle Of, 1542 The Battle of Solway Moss, 1542; Thomas Wharton's “prickers” rout the Scots Painting of The Battle of Solway Moss, by Rick Scollins, c.1986. The illustrator Richard Scollins specialised in…
Sir Richard Lowther Tomb And Effigy
Tomb And Effigy Of Sir Richard Lowther Tomb with effigy of Sir Richard Lowther, Lord Warden of the Marches in Lowther Church, Cumbria The inscription above Sir Richard Lowther's tomb runs thus; “Sr.Rich:Lowther Knig.Succeeded Hen:…
Thomas Lord Dacre Tomb At Lanercost Priory
Thomas, Lord Dacre's Tomb At Lanercost Priory Tomb of Thomas, Lord Dacre (1467-1525) at Lanercost Priory The tomb of Thomas Lord Dacre, of Flodden fame, who died in 1525 stands in the Chapel of St.…
