HALTON CASTLE

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A 13th or early 14th century tower house with an attached hall house of the 15th century which was mostly demolished and replaced in the 17th century. Dressed stone with stone slate roofs. Irregular plan. Garden front has a four-storey, late 14th century tower projecting on left. A Roman tombstone and a small altar are present in the back of the house.

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[NY 9971 6784] HALTON CASTLE [G.T.] (Remains of) (1)

A 'fortlet' at Halton is mentioned in 1382, the property of Robert De Lowther, who died in 1383. He probably built the tower which seems to date from the third quarter of the 14th century. The shield on the east wall bears arms which probably belong to him. On the death of Robert De Lowther the HALTON estate passed to William Carnaby II, with which family it remained until 1695. The tower is four storeys high, and has a vaulted basement with an entrance in the north wall. In 15th cent. a manor house was erected on the north side of the tower, the whole forming a T-shaped building. In the 17th cent. an addition was made on the east side of the tower. Fragments of walling extending westwards from the tower and some old masonry to the north of the brewhouse probably represent the barmkin enclosure. (2)

In the back wall of the 15th cent. house is a portion of a Roman funeral stone depicting a figure in an arched recess. Built into a wall west of the S.W. corner of the tower is a portion of another tombstone showing a man reclining on a couch. Lying in the garden in front of the 17th cent. house is a diminutive Roman altar. (3-4)

Halton Castle is in excellent condition and in use as a residence. See Illustrations Card. The fragment of Roman tombstone showing a man on a couch is now lying in the garden S.W. of the tower. Mr. Douglas Blackett (present owner of Halton Castle), states that it was removed from the nearby wall when it collapsed in 1953. The small Roman altar, lying near the south wall of the tower, is only fifteen inches high. It bears marks probably caused by the plough. There is no inscription visible. The other tombstone, showing a figure in a semi-circular headed recess, is built into the north end of the east wall of the 15th C. manor house. The provenance of the altar and tombstones was not ascertained, but they probably came from the Roman fort of Hunnum less than 1/2 mile to the North. (5)

Condition unchanged. The upper stones of beehive querns are situated beside the house at NY 9971 6785 and NY 9973 6784 respectively. See G.P.s. AO/56/6, 7 & 8 and 56/135/1. (6)

I Halton Castle (Included in Interim Statutory List as Halton Tower) 14th century tower-house, with attached house of 15th and late 17th century. Square 4-storeyed tower on S.E. angle, with battlements, round corner turrets etc. built of Roman stones (stands about 700 yards from a Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall). Fragments of 15th century house on E. side. Present house built at end of 17th century, added on E. side, 2 storeys with steeply pitched stone roof, the S. front having 5 4-light 'cross' windows with stone mullions and transome and small panes, and a centre moulded doorway with scroll pediment and cornice. W. front has Roman Doric porch of new stone, and a new balustraded parapet. (7)

Halton Castle
GV I
Country house. C13 or early C14, C15 and C17. Dressed stone with stone slate roofs. Irregular plan. Garden front has 4-storey, late C14 tower projecting on left. It has several slit windows and a one-light C14 window with cusped head on 2nd floor; similar window on right return. 1st floor has 16-pane sash in C17 roll-moulded surround, and a similar surround to 2-light mullioned window on right return with coat of arms of Carnaby over. Corbelled bartizans and original crenallations. Attached to right a 2-storey, 5-bay house of c1700. 3 steps up to doorway with bolection-moulded surround and scrolled pediment. Stone cross windows with cornices. Gabled roof with kneelers and coping and 2 tall renewed brick stacks on stone bases. Left return, i.e. to rear of tower is largely medieval. It is in 2 sections: 1st section next to tower predates the tower. Of this period only masonry survives. It has C17 stepped buttress and large external stack on corbels at 1st floor level. C17 2- and 3-light mullioned windows. Left of this a projecting cross wing which in part also predates the tower. Of this period masonry and a doorway inside with shouldered lintel. The rest is part of C15 hall house of which much was demolished in C17. It now has C18 and early C19 door and windows. Gabled roofs with brick stacks on stone bases. Space between these ranges is partly filled in with later building including present entrance on right return, made Georgian in mid C20. Interior: Tower has tunnel-vaulted ground floor, doors with 4-centred heads and stone newel stair. C17 house has open-well stair with twisted balusters. Older wings have 2 stone newel stairs, remains of screens passage with broach-stopped beams and C16 hall ceiling with finely moulded beams. (8)

Halton Castle reconsidered . (9)

Listed by Cathcart King and Dodds. (10,11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1920-46

( 2) by H H E Craster 1914 A history of Northumberland, volume ten : the parish of Corbridge

A history of Northumberland15 vols (1893-1940) vol.10 Page(s)395-413

( 3) Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne

10, 1921 Page(s)101

( 4) General reference

Handbook to the Roman Wall 10th Ed. 1947 (J.C. Bruce) (Edited by I.A. Richmond) Page(s)69-70

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 EG 11-MAY-56

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F2 RL 04-JAN-66

( 7) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

MHLG (Prov List) Hexham Rural District, Northumberland: Aug 1968 Page(s)56

( 8) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

District of Tynedale, Northumberland: 5.9.85 Page(s)69

( 9) by Patricia Borne, Philip Dixon 1978 Halton Castle reconsidered

Archaeologia Aeliana : or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquityThird series vol 1(1904)- 21(1924) 6 Page(s)131-9

(10) Dodds, JF 1999 Bastions and Belligerents: Medieval Strongholds in Northumberland

Page(s)441-3

(11) David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands

Page(s)334

RELATED MONUMENTS

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Description

GARDEN WALL SOUTH-EAST OF HALTON CASTLE
WHITTINGTON

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Wall, probably early 18th century in date, c.8 ft high.

GARDEN WALL SOUTH OF HALTON CASTLE
WHITTINGTON

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A Medieval wall, c.8 ft high and 3-4 ft thick. It is attached to the south front of the tower and may represent part of the barmkin from the Medieval...

CARRIAGE HOUSE C 30 YARDS EAST OF HALTON CASTLE
WHITTINGTON

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An 18th century carriage house of six bays and a single storey.

GATE PIERS C30 YARDS SOUTH OF HALTON CASTLE
WHITTINGTON

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Two tall square gate piers, built c.1700, 12 ft high.

STABLES AND GROOMS COTTAGE ATTACHED TO HALTON CASTLE
WHITTINGTON

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Stables with a dovecote and granary over and a cottage with a tack room consisting of a single two-storey range on right, becoming single-storey with ...

TERRACE WALL C 50 YARDS SOUTH OF HALTON CASTLE
WHITTINGTON

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An 18th century terrace wall, L-shaped, c.20 x 20 yards long. Included for group value.

GATE PIERS AND SCREEN WALLS C.0.5 MILES N OF HALTON CASTLE
WHITTINGTON

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17th or early 18th century gate piers and screen walls.

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