Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Widdrington Castle
Hob Uid: 25454
Location : Northumberland Widdrington Village
Grid Ref : NZ2557095760
Summary : Site of a medieval fortified manor house and castle with later additions, demolished after 1772. The visible remains now comprise an earthen mound on which the house once stood. An excavation carried out in 1954 revealed traces of a possible garden to the south of the mound.
More information : [NZ 25519577] CASTLE [G.T.] (Site of). (1) WIDDRINGTON CASTLE Licence for crenellation granted to G. de WIDDRINGTON in 1341. Its battlements were built on corbels, and it had a projecting turret at each corner with ornamental finials ... various additions were made at dif. dates - the house being demolished c.1770. [Plate shows this antiquity to be a fortified manor house rather than a castle] (2) Castle (Rather a tower. H.L. HONEYMAN)(3) the seat of GERALD de. WIDDRINGTON in 1272(3a) [WIDDRINGTON Pedigree in Authy 5. proves this to be the great-uncle of the a/m. G. de WIDDRINGTON]. The only remains of this building is the mound on which it stood(4) (3-5) [NZ 25569573] A ditchless circular mound with a diameter of 49.0m having a maximum height of 2.1m, the feature has a circular internal depression measuring 20.0m in diameter with a max depth of 1.6m below the top of the mound. Building foundations are visible at NZ 25579574 consisting of unweathered worked stone and fragmentary early brick. Loose worked stones and fragments of early brick and also scattered throughout the internal depression of the mound. No visible surface remains are to be seen at the published siting symbol, and there seems to be little doubt that the mound constitutes the remains of this antiquity. (6) The National Coal Board, in Aug '54 undertook to dig trenches south of the hollow mound. Digging was done by a mechanical navvy to a depth of 4ft. In only one place, the south edge of the mound, was there a trace of a building and this was the foundation of the mound itself. To the south the underground remains were limited to the foundations of a garden wall and a carriage-way, and to a few field drains and a certain amount of rubble. (7-8) [Subsequently Published] Castle Mound [NR]. (9) Mound resurveyed at 1/2500. (10) NZ 255 958. Castle (site of). Scheduled No ND/308. (11,12) Widdrington was the principle residence of the Widdrington family, their tower house, licenced in 1341properly being a castle. It remained their ancestral home until 1715. The tower was demolished in 1775. (13) Listed by King. (14)

Sources :

Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : Ordnance Survey 6" 1921-47
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 2
Source :
Source details : Hodgson J 1832 History of Northumberland 2 1832 pp 241-246
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 10
Source :
Source details : Second OS Archaeology Field Investigator 28/04/1971
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 11
Source :
Source details : English Heritage SAM List Northumberland March 1994 p 31
Page(s) : 31
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 12
Source :
Source details : English Heritage Schedule Entry 07/08/1996
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 13
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 226-8
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 14
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 355
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 3
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 148-218
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 16, 1939

Source Number : 3a
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 27
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 14

Source Number : 4
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 82
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 1903

Source Number : 5
Source :
Source details : Hodgson J 1832 History of Northumberland 2 pp 230-9
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 6
Source :
Source details : First OS Archaeology Survey Officer 25/02/1954
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 7
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 336-342
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 1955

Source Number : 8
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 16
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 22

Source Number : 9
Source :
Source details : Ordnance Survey 25" 1958
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Documented in 1341
Monument End Date : 1341
Monument Start Date : 1341
Monument Type : Tower House, Fortified Manor House, Castle
Evidence : Earthwork

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Rebuilt 1592-1649
Monument End Date : 1649
Monument Start Date : 1592
Monument Type : Tower House, Fortified Manor House
Evidence : Earthwork

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : 1653-1673 additions
Monument End Date : 1673
Monument Start Date : 1653
Monument Type : Tower House, Walled Garden
Evidence : Earthwork

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Demolished 1775
Monument End Date : 1775
Monument Start Date : 1775
Monument Type : Tower House
Evidence : Earthwork

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 24641
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : ND 308
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : NZ 29 NE 2
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1954-01-01
End Date : 1954-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1954-02-25
End Date : 1954-02-25

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1971-04-28
End Date : 1971-04-28

Historic England Research Records

Widdrington Castle