Clan Rising
Millom Castle today

England · Partial ruin

Millom Castle

Millom Castle is a medieval manor and fortified tower complex at Millom in Cumbria, now a Grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument. The site includes a tall rectangular great tower attached to lower domestic ranges, a historic gatehouse and surviving fragments of curtain wall and moat; parts of the tower later served as a farmhouse.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1600

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in 1600

What Millom Castle looked like in its prime.

A tall, rectangular great tower rises above attached two-storey domestic ranges and outbuildings, all built of local rubble stone with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. The east side incorporates a gatehouse with stone steps; the west side shows a pointed entrance set into the masonry. Remnants of a low curtain wall and the earthwork of a moat lie to the north and west. Rooflines are simple pitched slate; the tower presents a blocky, rectilinear silhouette above the lower farm ranges.

Its story

The story of Millom Castle.

A manor at Millom was granted to Godard de Boyvill, owner of the Manor of Millom, around 1134, and came to the Hudleston family around 1240 when de Boyvill's granddaughter married into it. The Hudlestons held the castle for five centuries, until Elizabeth Huddleston sold it to Sir James Lowther of Whitehaven in 1748.

The complex pairs a tall rectangular great tower with lower domestic ranges, built in stone with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. A gatehouse with 17th-century steps stands on the east side, a pointed entrance on the west, and remains of a moat survive to the north and west. Parts of the tower later served as a farmhouse; the site is Grade I listed and a scheduled ancient monument.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1600.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Millom Castle, including 1 interior: ground-floor chamber of the great tower (farmhouse). Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the south lawnEast gatehouse and 17th-century stepsWest pointed entranceGreat tower exteriorGround-floor chamber of the great tower (farmhouse)Northwest moat and ruined curtain wallAttached barns and outhouses on the north-west side

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Whose castle

Clans who held Millom Castle.

The families that held Millom Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • de Boyvill

    Granted to Godard de Boyvill around 1134; held until his granddaughter's marriage carried it to the Hudlestons around 1240.

  • Hudleston

    Held by the Hudleston family from around 1240 until Elizabeth Huddleston sold the castle in 1748.

Questions about Millom Castle

What is the history of Millom Castle?

Millom Castle’s recorded history begins with a manor granted to Godard de Boyvill around 1134. It passed to the Hudleston family around 1240 through marriage, and John Hudleston received a licence to crenellate in 1335. Lancastrian forces captured it in 1460, while cannon fire damaged it during the English Civil War in 1644. Elizabeth Huddleston sold it to Sir James Lowther in 1748.

What is inside Millom Castle?

The documented interior of Millom Castle includes a ground-floor chamber in the great tower that later served as part of a farmhouse. The supplied descriptions do not identify other rooms or interior fittings. Outside, the complex includes attached domestic ranges, barns and outhouses.

When was Millom Castle built?

Millom Castle was established as a manor around 1134, while its great tower dates from the 16th or perhaps 17th century. The site therefore developed in phases rather than being built at one recorded date. A licence to crenellate was granted to John Hudleston in 1335, before the present great tower was built.

Was Millom Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Yes, Millom Castle was attacked and captured in 1460 by Lancastrian forces. It was also damaged by cannon fire in 1644 during the English Civil War, when Parliamentarian forces defeated the Royalist commander Sir William Hudlestone. The material does not describe a separate siege or an immediate recapture after either assault.

Which family or clan held Millom Castle?

The de Boyvill family held Millom Castle’s manor from its grant to Godard de Boyvill around 1134 until his granddaughter’s marriage carried it to the Hudlestons around 1240. The Hudleston family then held the castle until Elizabeth Huddleston sold it to Sir James Lowther in 1748.

What did Millom Castle look like in its prime?

Millom Castle has a tall, rectangular great tower rising above attached two-storey domestic ranges and outbuildings. The buildings are made of local rubble stone with ashlar dressings and slate roofs, giving the complex a blocky, rectilinear silhouette. Its east side has a gatehouse with 17th-century steps, while a pointed entrance, curtain-wall fragments and moat remains survive elsewhere.

Is Millom Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Millom Castle is partially ruined but still standing. Its tall great tower and lower domestic ranges survive, while parts of the curtain wall and moat remain as fragments or earthworks. The great tower is now used as a farmhouse, and the castle walls were already described as being in dilapidated condition by 1739.

Where is Millom Castle?

Millom Castle is at Millom in Cumbria, in England. It is located within the administrative area of Millom. The complex stands at the town rather than at a separately named nearby city.

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