ALNHAM CASTLE

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

EARL'S TOWER

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The remains of a medieval tower house at Alnham, often referred to as Alnham Castle. It lies on high ground to the south of the medieval village remains (NT 91 SE 16). The tower is rectangular in plan and survives as a prominent sub-rectangular mound which measures 22 metres east-west by 18 metres north-south and stands up to 2 metres high. Part of the inner face of the north wall and its junction with a cross wall are visible as exposed masonry and there is a possible doorway at the north east corner. The tower is one of two in Alnham and is first mentioned in 1405 when it was surrendered to royal troops.

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(NT 99181081) ALNHAM CASTLE (NR) (Site) (1)

Listed in the 1415 Survey as the 'TURRIS de ALNHAM'. Mentioned in the 1541 Survey as in need of repair. (2)

A tower at ALNHAM is first mentioned in 1405 when it surrendered to the royal troops after the Earl of Northumberland's insurrection in that year. A tower is held by the Earl in 1415 and c. 1514. ALNHAM tower is again listed in 1584 in a survey of border fortresses. In a survey of the Earls lands in 1566 it is described as "a strong stone Tower of ancient time built and strongly vaulted over. The house now ruinous and in some decay." The tower in course of time disappeared, but its foundations can still be traced on a knoll opposite to the church. (3)

The foundations show traces of a square tower and the remains of other buildings, probably the outer offices and the wall of the barmkin. Mr. WILLIAM BROWN of ALNHAM remembers having seen a number of door-heads, window heads and mullions, along with other dressed stones, amongst the ruins. (4)

Situated in pastureland on the summit of a small knoll at about 540ft above sea level are banks of earth and stone forming a roughly square enclosure to indicate the site of this tower. A slight lowering of the slopes in the southeast corner may represent an entrance.

The banks are much spread and mutilated, particularly the eastern bank from which project at a slight angle traces of two other banks which, with another outer bank appear to have formed an eastern annex.

South of the site a small level platform is formed by a lynchet bank which projects from the south-east corner of the outer enclosure.
Another lynchet bank and a well defined outer bank north of the site, both of which merge with the bank of a small stream to the north west may have formed part of the tower's defences, but are likely to be associated with the medieval township of ALNHAM (NT 91 SE 16).

Although overlooked by higher ground from the south-east the tower had a good view in other directions and was well sited defensively.

Streams to the north and north-west are the present nearest sources of water. Photographed. (5)

Published Survey (25") revised. (6)

The tower is pictorially represented as being extant and surrounded by a probable barmkin. (7)

Basically as described by Authority 5. The remains form a mutilated rectangular mound measuring 22.0m by 19.0m approximately with a maximum height of 2.0m above immediate ground level.

The only remains of the probable barmkin are on the north side where a pronounced east-west bank still exists.
Resurveyed at 1:2500. (8)

The remains of Alnham Castle, on the crest of the river cliff to the
S of Alnham church at 165m OD, consist of a square grass-covered mound, containing much stone, c. 24m wide and up to 2m high. Irregular hollows in the centre of the mound, 0.8m deep, probably indicate stone robbing such as that recorded by Dixon (Authority 4, 28). A low rectangular platform, not more than 1.0m high, extends to the E for about 12m and a scarp of similar height surrounds both mound and platform on the S. Although Dixon describes the castle as "an extensive fortress" there are no further traces of outworks. The nearby banks and walls [NT 9910/12] do not appear to be of a defensive nature. The castle was in poor repair by 1541 (Bowes and Ellecker quoted by Authority 2, 29) and was described in 1586 as "a faire stronge stone Tower of Ancient tyme builded and strongly vaulted over, and the Gates and Dores be all of great stronge iron Barres and a good demayne adjoining thereto, the House is now ruinous and in some decay, by reason the Farmer useth to carry his sheep up the Stares and to lay them in the Chambers which rotteth the vaults" (2, 30). (9)

NT 992 108. Alnham Castle. Scheduled No ND/632. (10,11)

Alnham Castle is also known as the Earl's Tower. History of the monument. (12)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" map 1926

( 2) Archaeologia Aeliana : or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity

1891 Page(s)14, 17, 43

( 3) edited by Madeleine Hope Dodds 1935 A history of Northumberland, volume fourteen : the parishes of Alnham, Chatton, Chillingham, Eglingham, Ilderton, Ingram and Whittingham, the chapelries of Lowick and Doddington

A history of Northumberland15 vols (1893-1940) vol.14 Page(s)573-4

( 4) General reference

Dixon DD. 1895. Whittingham Vale, Northumberland, Robert Redpath, Newcastle, 28

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 DA Davies/03-MAY-1957/OS Archaeology Division Field Investigator

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F2 BH Pritchard/31-JUL-1969/OS Archaeology Division Field Investigator

( 7) General reference

Plan of Alneham and Alneham Moore Mayson's Survey circa 1610-1625. Surveyed by Norton

( 8) Field Investigators Comments

F3 S Ainsworth/23-NOV-1976/OS Archaeology Division Field Investigator

(9) Field Investigators Comments

Mark Bowden/01-MAY-1989/RCHME: SE Cheviots Project

(10) English Heritage 1995 County list of Scheduled Monuments : March 1994

Northumberland Page(s)3

(11) Scheduled Monument Notification

21-JUN-1999

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

Page(s)161-2

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