Castle Howe

Castle Howe stands on a low ridge above the River Kent in Kendal. It is a motte and bailey castle built after the Norman conquest. The motte rises eleven metres and the bailey once stretched along the ridge beside it. The earthworks remain today, though the bailey was levelled when the land became a park. Information boards now stand at the foot of the motte. The site is managed by the local council. The castle was begun either by Ivo Taillebois in 1087 or by Ketel after 1100. By the 12th century it had been abandoned, possibly by Gilbert or by William de Lancaster. The earthworks survive as the only visible remains. The motte’s circular base is forty-eight metres wide. Visitors can walk around the grassy mound and read the boards. From the top of the motte there are views across Kendal and the surrounding fells. The ridge on which the castle stands is part of a larger park. The River Kent lies below to the west. The site is quiet and open, with no modern buildings nearby. It offers a clear picture of a small Norman fortification in its landscape.