Piel Castle
Piel Castle, also known as Fouldry Castle or the Pile of Fouldray, is a castle situated on the south-eastern point of Piel Island, off the coast of the Furness Peninsula in north-west England. Built in the early-14th century by John Cockerham, the Abbot of neighbouring Furness Abbey, it was intended to oversee the trade through the local harbour and to protect against Scottish raids. The castle was built using stones from the local beach, and featured a large keep with surrounding inner and outer baileys. It was used as a base by the Yorkist pretender Lambert Simnel in 1487, but by 1534 it had fallen into ruin and passed into the hands of the Crown.
| Piel Castle | |
|---|---|
| Furness Peninsula, England | |
Piel Castle, showing the inner gatehouse, inner bailey wall and keep | |
Piel Castle Location in Barrow-in-Furness Borough Piel Castle Location in Cumbria | |
| Coordinates | 54.0626°N 3.1733°W |
| Grid reference | grid reference SD233636 |
| Type | Concentric castle |
| Site information | |
| Owner | English Heritage |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Beach stone and red sandstone |
| Events | Landing of Lambert Simnel in 1487 |
Sea erosion began to cause significant damage to the castle in the early 19th century. In the 1870s the castle's owner, the Duke of Buccleuch, carried out extensive restoration work and erected outworks to protect it against further damage from the sea. In 1920 the castle was given to the town of Barrow-in-Furness and is now in the care of English Heritage. The castle is at threat from continued coastal erosion exacerbated by climate change.