Piel Castle, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria
An aerial view reconstruction drawing of the castle in the early 14th century. Furness Abbey traded through Piel Harbour and fortified this site soon after the Scottish invasions of 1316 and 1322. The castle provided a secure warehouse for smuggled goods including Flemish wool. Henry IV briefly took possession but, by this time, the abbots had already stripped the lead off the roof. They did this to make sure the King could not use it as a base for customs men. In 1487 Lambert Simnel and an army of mercenaries landed at Piel intending to dethrone Henry VII. Their march ended in defeat at the Battle of Stoke. By 1530 the castle had long been in ruins. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2011). Find out more
