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Peel tower
Small medieval fortified keep or tower house / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Peel towers (also spelt pele)[1] are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, mainly between the mid-14th century and about 1600.[2] They were free-standing with defence being a prime consideration in their design,[3] although "confirmation of status and prestige" also played a role.[4] Additionally, they functioned as watch-towers, where garrisoned personnel could light signal fires to warn of approaching danger.
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The FISH Vocabulary Monument Types Thesaurus[5] lists "pele" alongside "bastle", "fortified manor house" and "tower house" under the broader term "fortified house". Pevsner defines a peel as simply a stone tower.[6] Outside of this, "peel" or "pele" can also be used in related contexts, for example a "pele" or "barmkin" (in Ireland a bawn) was an enclosure where livestock were herded in times of danger.[7] The rustling of livestock was an inevitable part of Border raids, and often their main purpose.[8] In this usage, the tower usually stood at a corner of the pele. Most pele enclosure walls have not survived, and some towers perhaps never had them. Some, known as a "vicar's pele", housed the local vicar but could also serve as a refuge for the whole community.[9]