| Summary : The remains of the fortified house known as Tarset Castle. The building was built on a strategic position commanding the Tyne and Tarset fords and the junction of two old traffic routes. A licence to crenellate (fortify) the residence was granted to John Comyn in 1267. This is the earliest surviving licence to do so in Northumberland. In 1523 the house was occupied by Sir Ralph Fenwick who defended it with 80 men. However, in 1525 the fortified house was taken and burnt down. The building was never restored and its ruins were used as a quarry.The fortified house is largely visible as the grassed over remains of a rectangular structure. Most of the masonry has been robbed and the only visible remains, which stand to a maximum height of 1.5 metres, are at the north east and south east corners of the structure. These stand upon the uncovered remains of a stone plinth. This masonry is thought to represent two of the four square corner turrets known to exist at Tarset Castle as indicated on a plan of the ruins made in 1773. This plan shows John Comyn's residence to be a long narrow building with a small rectangular turret at each corner. A ditch enclosed two sides of the site, with the other two sides bounded by a steep bank rising from the Tarset water on the north, and a less steep slope which had in part been artificially scarped, facing westwards. There is no evidence of any wall or defence on the inner side of the ditch although there was possibly a timber palisade and there must also have been at some point a trestle bridge or gangway to provide access. |
More information : (Centred NY 7884 8547) Tarset Castle(GT) (Remains of) (1)
Additional references. (2-4)
Tarset or Tyrset Castle, or "Hall" as it was more commonly called, may be almost certainly identified with the camera which John Comyn obtained leave to fortify with a stone wall and ditch in 1267.
The castle disappears from history until 1523 when it was occupied by Sir Ralph Fenwick with eighty men. In 1525 it was taken and burnt by an alliance of Scots and Tynedale men. It was never restored and its ruins served as a quarry. The site was of strategic importance and commanded the Tyne and Tarset fords and the junction of two old traffic routes. A plan of the ruins made in 1773 show that John Comyn's Camera was a long narrow building with a small rectangular turret at each corner. The wall built in 1267 extended all round the 'Camera' and was broken round the outline of the corner turrets. The ditch, intact except where cut by the railway, enclosed two sides of an area about 250 feet square. The remaining two sides were bounded by a steep bank rising from the Tarset water on the north, and a less steep slope, in part apparently artificially scarped, facing westwards. The stone castle, oriented N-S, stood on the east side of the enclosure. There is no evidence of any wall or defence on the inner side of the ditch although there was possibly a timber palisade. There must also have been at some point a trestle bridge or gangway.
Excavations were made in 1888 by Mr W L S Charlton but no plan was made. (5)
Additional references. (6-8)
Licence to crenellate his camera at 'Tyrset' (Tarset) was granted to John Comyn on 5 December 1267 by Henry III at Westminster. This is the first licence to crenellate in Northumberland which has been preserved. Leland, writing c 1538, mentions the ruins of 'Tarset Castelle'. A survey of 1541 refers to a tower called 'Tarsett Hall' as being burnt 16 years since (1525). (9)
A bronze key was found during the excavations of 1888 by Mr W L Charlton. (10)
The remains of the castle are situated upon a steep-sided promontory which points westwards and which commands the valley of the Tarset Burn to the north, and the valley of the River North Tyne to the west, south and east. The promontory is cut off from the rising ground to the east by a broad deep ditch, 22.0m wide, and of an average depth of 5.0m. The southern end of this ditch has been destroyed by the construction of a railway cutting.
Upon the east side of the site, are foundations of a building, of which the south end and NE corner are exposed, and stand to a maximum height of 1.5m. The rest of the site has been subjected to ravaging for stone and is covered with pits and spoil heaps, now turf covered. (11)
As described by F1, except that the foundations of the S end of the building are too mutilated for survey action.
Resurveyed at 1:2500. (12)
Tarset Castle. Built by John Comyn in 1267. It is clear from the part excavated some years ago that all the lower parts of the walls remain buried under debris. The masonry is of very good quality and the fact that it is a dated example makes it more valuable. Scheduled as an ancient monument. Description and plan in N.C.H. Vol. XV. (13)
Tarset Castle. Grade II*. (14)
NY 788 855. Tarset Castle. Scheduled No ND/225. (15)
The remains of a fortified residence known as Tarset Castle. The house is largely visible as the grassed over remains of a rectangular structure. Standing masonry is visible to a maximum height of 1.5m at the north-east and south-east corners of the structure standing upon the uncovered remains of a stone plinth. This masonry is thought to represent two of the four square corner turrets known to exist at Tarset Castle. Tarset Castle is both a grade II* listed building and a scheduled monument. (16)
NY 7884 8547. Tarset Castle was surveyed in May 1999 by English Heritage field investigators as part of the National SAMs Survey Pilot Project. The remains of the castle stand upon a motte which has been formed by cutting deep ditches to isolate a promontary above the Tarset Burn, the spoil form the ditches having been used to augment the natural feature. The northern side of the motte is defined by a steep river-cliff which is being actively eroded by a meander in the river. The ditches, to east and south are well preserved, although a trackway interrupts the inner and outer scarps of the ditch to the south-east.
The only identifiable remains of the castle are remnants of the north-east and south-east angle towers, the former displaying a double-chamfered plinth, the latter surviving as the turf-covered rubble core of the wall, up to 1.2m high. The eastern two-thirds of the surface of the motte are covered by turf-covered heaps of rubble, the debris of extensive stone-robbing. At least four small excavation trenches are visible in the vicinity of the castle, all approximately 0.6m wide, which are probably from the excavations of 1888. (17)
Listed by Cathcart King. (18)
History of the monument. (19) |