LUDWORTH TOWER

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Ruined remains of a 15th century tower and associated buildings. Part of the tower stands to a height of three storeys and includes the remains of a spiral staircase and a barrel vaulted ground floor chanber.

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NZ 3558 4130 Ludworth Tower (NR) (remains of) (NAT). (1)

In 1411 the manor of Ludworth passed into the hands of the Holden family who built the tower and in 1422 license was granted to crenellate the manor. Most of the tower fell in 1890 and all that is left is the tunnel-vaulted basement, the W wall and a fragment of the S wall (2) enclosed by the remains of a small rectangular bank and ditch (3). A fragment of curtain wall remains towards the E. (4)

S of the road are the walls of several rooms. (5)

The extent of the remains of the tower and accompanying buildings are as shown on the plan. They consist only of the W wall 11.2m long, 1.5 m wide and circa 10 m high, with the remains of a newel staircase and several windows, part of the N wall and the barrel vaulted basement, 6.7 m long and 1.8 m high, with a later wall below it. Around the tower are various banks covering fallen walls and foundations but the bank and ditch mentioned by Authority 3 are no longer visible. At NZ 3566 4126 are the roofless buildings referred to by Authority 5, measuring 42.2 m in length, 13.3 m in width and circa 4 m high. Their purpose and date are not known, but they are possibly co-eval with the tower. (6)

The remains of the tower at NZ 3558 4129 are as described by
Authority 6. The buildings to the S of the road at NZ 3566 4125 had been completely demolished before the tenancy of the present farmer and no further information was obtained about them. Published survey (1:2500) revised. (7)

NZ 356 414 Ludworth Tower. Scheduled. (8)

The site was visited by the RCHME during a survey of scheduled
monuments in County Durham.

Earthworks generally as described by Authority 6, revised by
reference to survey (9a). Surrounding fields to west, north and east now under cultivation but some slight amorphous earthworks survive on south side of the public road; not surveyed. A hollow way runs down-slope towards the Shadforth Beck, where further earthworks are visible; not surveyed. Additional reference (9b). (9)

The site was revisited by RCHME in 1992 and surveyed at 1:1000 scale. The tower and earthworks are generally as described by authority 6, with additional information derived from the survey. The buildings south of the road referred to by authority 5 and 7 are visible during demolition on AP dating from 1970 (10a) and were probably not contemporary with the tower. The area of survey included probable fishponds to the south-west, now recorded as NZ 34 SE 13. (10)

Remains of Ludworth Tower and associated buildings are visible as earthworks and structures on air photographs centred at NZ 3559 4124.
Description of Ludworth Tower largely as in authority (1-8).
At NZ 3564 4124 are the remains of buildings of unknown date, probably associated with the tower house.
To the west of the monument, centred at NZ 3546 4116 is a series of banks and earthworks of unknown nature, interpreted as medieval fishponds potentially associated with the house (UID 930719).
(11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" map 1923

( 2) General reference

Boyle, J R, 1892. County of Durham (478)

( 3) edited by William Page 1905 The Victoria history of the county of Durham, volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England Victoria County History Durham 1 1905 359 plan Page(s)359

( 4) General reference

Surtees, R, 1816. History of Durham 1 (123)

( 5) The buildings of England

Pevsner, N, 1953. Buildings of England: Co Durham (181) Page(s)181

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F1 JHOstridge/22-SEP-1954/OS Archaeology Division Field Investigator

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

F2 ISSainsbury/21-APR-1980/OS Archaeology Division Field Investigator

( 8) General reference

DOE (IAM) AMs Record Form Eng 9-MAR-1967

(9) Field Investigators Comments

Mark Bowden/12-AUG-1991/RCHME: Durham SAMs Project

(9a) General reference

Clack, P 1980 Typescript report on fieldwork in Ludworth 1978 North-East Archaeol Unit

(9b) by Nikolaus Pevsner ; revised by Elizabeth Williamson 1983 County Durham

The buildings of England Pevsner, N and Williamson, E, 1983 County Durham Harmondsworth Penguin Books (357) Page(s)357

(10) Field Investigators Comments

Colin Lofthouse/MAR-1992/RCHME: Ludworth Tower Survey

(10a) Aerial photograph

AP: BKS UO47112

(11) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

RAF CPE/UK/1841 4020 13-Nov-1946

RELATED MONUMENTS

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MONUMENT NO. 930719
SHADFORTH

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Ponds; a series of well preserved, irregularly shaped earthwork hollows possibly contemporary with the nearby 15th century fortified manor, Ludworth T...

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