Bewley Castle

South of the village of Bolton lie the ruins of Bewley Castle situated on a tributary of the river Eden known as Sweet Milk Sike. Travelling from Bolton to Colby you would not know it was there, as it lies down a long track unseen in a green hollow to the left of Sweet Milk Sike Bridge.

The survey of Historical Monuments of 1937 describes it as being formerly three stories high with walls of rubble and ashlar. What remains of the castle dates mainly from the 14th century. Originally in the 13th century the site was known as Fithnenin but later became known as Beaulieu.

The Castle at Fithnenin, the riverside pasture was granted by Uethred de Botelton in 1170to the church at Carlisle. In 1186 after the death of the second bishop Bernard the diocese remained vacant for 32 years. During this time the Canons appointed their own bishop and swore allegiance to the Scots King. This annoyed King Henry 11 and he consulted the Pope, who gave orders for the Canons to be expelled and Hugh Abbot of Beaulieu in the New Forest was appointed as Bishop of Carlisle.

The castle was given to Hugh who gave it the name Beaulieu after his previous home in the New Forest .The name is a French form of the Latin bellus locus, meaning beautiful place.

The original castle was built in 1325 and in 1402 Bishop Strickland restored the house, the chapel and the lords chamber. In 1598the castle was owned by Sir Richard Musgrave and this was the time that the incident occurred that is recounted in the Robbers of Bewley, a well-known Westmorland legend. The estate is sold to Robert Braithwaite by the Parliamentary Commissioners for £321-10-0d

Later the estate is repossessed at the restoration of the monarchy and King Charles 11 is restored to the throne.

1678 -1781. In the eighteenth century Bishop Douglas received £381 from timber sold from the lands of Bewley to the costs of repairs to Rose Castle. By 1774 the Castle is in ruin. The estate is owned by the Machels until the 19th century. The estate is let to William Swainson in 1807.

In the late 1700’s Edward Jackson curate for All Saints Bolton wrote to the vestry meeting complaining that the correct amount of tithes had not been submitted by Bewley Castle “as they generally apply to have the rate made out the moment they want to collect it , so that no time is allowed to consider of its curacy when this is done. I have no doubt that everything will be settled amicably and friendly”.

New Bewely is another residence that can be seen on the road side by the track to Bewely Castle. The dwelling was built from stone from the castle and over one of the doors on a sandstone lintel is a coat of arms of the Clifford’s impaling Vipont. It is of note that the St Anne’s hospital alms-houses were founded in Appleby in 1652 and on entering the quadrangle of the hospital, the west front has an archway above which is an inscribed panel and two coats of arms one of Clifford impaling Vipont.

There are a number of shields set in panels in the wall faces one showing the Vipont arms impaling Bewley.

In the1991 census there is a new residence listed, New Bewley Cottage as well as the Castle and New Bewley. All the residences have been modernised to a high standard for modern living.