Marmion Tower |
| Hob Uid: 52078 | |
Location :
North Yorkshire
Hambleton
West Tanfield
|
| Grid Ref : SE2677678718 |
| Summary : Marmion Tower is the 15th century gatehouse of the now otherwise demolished Tansfield Castle, a fortified manor house. The tower is named after the Marmion family that owned the manor. A licence to crenellate (in other words a licence or the freedom to build- or convert a residence into a castle) here was given in 1348, for Matilda (or Maud), the widow of John Marmion but it is possible that there was never a large "castle" in the conventional sense, only the fortified manor house. This licence may have been a repeat of an earlier licence issued to John Marmion in 1314. The precise plan of the manor house has not yet been identified. The gatehouse tower itself may have been built by William Fitz Hugh, who died in 1452. The tower is a three storey stone building, roughly square in plan, with a projection at the north-west corner containing a newel stair. The gateway is barrel vaulted and has a guardroom to the south. The stair leads to the rooms above and ends in a turret above the battlements. The tower features a fine oriel window to the first floor, and other details of interest include the garderobe (latrine) and a porter's "squint". The site is now in the care of English Heritage. |
More information : SE 2673 7873. Rectory [T.I.] on site of Tanfield Castle [G.T.]. SE
2677 7871. Marmion Tower. SE 2675 7870. Wall [G.T.] (1)
The 15th century gateway to Tanfield Castle is in perfect condition but there is no trace of the castle itself, for which license to crenellate was granted in 1348, and it is doubtful if it was ever
built. Leland says there was only the gateway and a manor house on the site. A vaulted well house about 60 ft west of the gateway and a wall by the river may be associated with the manor house. (2-5)
Ground photos. (5)
The Marmion Gatehouse, 13th and early 15th century building, of
rectangular plan, three storeyed with embattled top. Grade 1. (7)
SE 2677 7871. Marmion Tower (former gatehouse of Tanfield Castle fortified manor). Scheduled Number 13274. (8)
Noted as a possible castle by Cathcart King. (9)
A conservation statement for Marmion Castle was published in 2002. (10)
An initial licence to crenellate was given in 1314 for Sir John Marmion's house called L' Ermitage and was repeated in 1348 when granted to his widow Matilda (Maud). (11)
The primary source for the date of crenellation is the Calendar of Patent Rolls. (12)
The possible builder of Marmion Tower gatehouse may have been Wiliam Fitz Hugh, who died in 1452. The guide also includes a useful brief description of the main architectural features of the gatehouse. In the Tudor period the manor passed to the Parr family (relatives of the sixth wife of Henry VIII) and in 1571 to William Cecil, Lord Burghley. (13)
|