Robert de Tilliol built Scaleby Castle after 1307, next to the village of Scaleby, from
Carlisle. The Tilliols were a well-established family in the region from the reign of
Henry I onwards, and Robert was given the land for the castle by
Edward I and granted the authority to build a castle by
Edward II. The initial castle comprised two sets of buildings, linked by a small courtyard and protected by a curtain wall on both sides, surrounded by a large, circular, water-filled
moat approximately wide, and an inner moat, since largely destroyed. The male Tilliol line died out in 1435; the castle then passed by marriage to the Colville family. They rebuilt much of the castle in the late 15th century, including remodelling the
pele tower, the great hall and the gateway, complete with a polygonal
barbican. The pele tower formed a substantial fortification, about by across, with three floors and thick walls. The Musgrave family acquired the castle and Sir Edward Musgrave rebuilt the south range of the castle in 1596. view of Scaleby Castle In 1641, the
English Civil War broke out between the
Royalist supporters of
Charles I and
Parliament. Sir Edward's grandson, another Sir Edward Musgrave, was a strong Royalist supporter and declared for the king. In February 1645, Parliamentary forces besieging nearby Carlisle also besieged and eventually seized Scaleby Castle, causing considerable damage; Edward recovered the castle, but in at the start of the
Second English Civil War in 1648 he again took up arms on behalf of the king. This time the castle immediately fell to Parliamentary forces, who set fire to it. Sir Edward was heavily in debt so he sold the castle after the war to
Richard Gilpin, who restored the property . The property remained in the hand of the Gilpins until it fell into disrepair; it was restored once again by Rowland Fawcett. In 1847 James Fawcett was resident there. Today the castle is a Grade I
listed building and a
scheduled monument. It is the seat of
Oliver Eden, 8th Baron Henley. ==See also==