Beaumont Motte

Beaumont motte is a substantial earthen mound which was used as a castle for a short time during the settlement and process of domination of the Cumbria area. It lies close to the mouth of the Rive Eden, and occupies a site which was fortified with a turret of Hadrian’s Wall. The location of the motte is a natural eminence beneath which Hadrian’s Wall (made of turf at this point) changed direction, and it is likely that the mound in part uses the Roman remains – even if only as the mound.

The summit of the motte, measuring about 40 metres by about 45, is large enough to have housed a hall, tower, and additional buildings, and may therefore have formed a basic ringwork defended only in timber, but it was taken out of use relatively early, and the mound now houses St Mary’s church, dated to the 13th century. As Sir Richard le Brun, lord of Beaumont, was given permission to fortify his dwelling at Drumburgh in 1307, it is likely that the castle ad ceased to be used as such for quite some time.