More information : [NY 8626 7374] Simonburn Castle [G.T.] (Remains of) [T.I.] (1)
The tower at Simonburn is first mentioned in 1415, but the earliest masonry is 13th c. It was built on an unfinished motte and part of a bailey ditch can still be seen. (2)
Scheduled. (3)
The tower is now reduced to a grass covered mound of rubble, except for the east wall which is 6.0 m high. There is no sign of a bailey ditch, but a natural hollow, or holloway, to the S.E. may have been mistaken for it.
1/2500 survey revised. (4)
Simonburn Castle. Grade II. Partly reconstructed in 1766 as an
eyecatcher from Nunwick Hall. (5)
NY 8626 7373. Simonburn Castle tower house. Scheduled RSM No 21047.
Though repaired in the 18th century and having lost its upper storeys through collapse, the remains of an original solitary tower house of 13th century date remain on the site. The tower, built of small squared ashlar blocks, is roughly 10.5m square. Only the ground floor basement stands today, covered by a plain semicircular barrel vault. Although the basement has become infilled with rubble and masonry from the collapsed upper storeys, a small window in the SE side is visible. There is a door in the NW wall giving access to a mural chamber which is thought to have housed the foot of a flight of stairs giving access to the upper storey. Also on the NW side are the remains of a square projecting turret. The remains of a stone wall rib indicate that the ground floor was covered by a plain vaulted roof. A door with a pointed arch opens from the turret giving rise to the suggestion that the turret served as an entrance porch to the main tower. The original 13th century tower fell into decay during the 16th century and was almost certainly in ruins by the end of that century. In the second half of the 18th century it was repaired by the Allgood family and the upper end of the NE wall was rebuilt. As late as 1940 this wall at least was still standing to a height of 1.8m. (6)
It is possible that a motte and bailey was built by Simon, half-brother of Prince Henry of Scotland, after 1138. The tower house was built by Henry Graham, being completed in 1291. The tower appears to have been abandoned after 1550, being ruinous in the 1670s. In 1766 the ruin was partly restored as a folly. (7)
Listed by King. (8)
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