More information : [Centred at NZ 14978613] TOWER [G.T.] (Remains of) (1)
In the NE corner of the village green of NEWTON UNDERWOOD is a garden containing an arch with a span of twelve feet and built on walls six feet thick. Thirty years ago [c1802] there were two others adjoining it to the east, which like the one remaining opened on to the south.
The place where the arch stands was called the 'OLD WALLS' and digging in the vicinity has revealed old foundations. Local tradition is that it was a 'bassel house' [bastle]. It was no doubt a fortalice
or bastle of the family of EURE. (2)
Tower at NEWTON UNDERWOOD (3)
Remains of a tower situated upon a gentle SE slope, which drops to S and E to a river valley, and overlooking a river valley to
the N. Undulating ground to the W. Open farmland. The remains consist of one arch 3.5m. wide in a stretch of wall 6.3m long and 2.2m thick, composed of large and small stones in mortar, faced with roughly shaped stones, coursed and bonded, on both faces. The fragment is part of the S wall of the tower and is orientated ENE-WSW. The other fragments or foundations of the tower are to be seen, though a surrounding garden wall is doubtless built of stones from the tower, they being of like appearance to these in the fragment still standing. The arch springs at 0.8m from present ground level. At the W end of the wall a farmhouse has been constructed, the tower wall abutting onto the SE corner of the farmhouse. The owner of the house, and land on which the tower stood, has no further information about the tower to offer. There is no evidence for dating the structure.
The height of the fragment is about 2.8m. (4)
Remains of a bastle as described. (5)
The tower was probably byuilt by the Eures family in the 14th century. It was abandoned in 1632. Listed by Dodds. (6) |