More information : [NU 02930052] Tower [NR] (In ruins) (NAT) (1)
Tower at Great Tosson. (2)
Great Tosson: a small village south of the river Coquet, in which are the remains of an old pile. (3)
Described in the 1541 Survey as a tower of the Lord Ogle, and not in good repair. [Not mentioned in the 1415 Survey, pp 13-19].
The Ogles obtained lands at Tosson in about 1330, but the tower is probably of later construction. It measures about 25 feet east-west, 18 feet north-south. There has been a slit at the west end of the vault. Very near the south-east corner there remains portions of the jamb and springing of the inner arch of the doorway. Some traces of the stair are left in the north-east angle, and above these a square-headed door and flat roofed passage is seen form outside. (4)
In 1517 William Ogle gave Tosson Tower to Lord Ogle in exchange for Cocklaw Tower. The vault still remains, but the arch of it much broken. The masonry is good, the walls 8 feet thick; doorway to the south-east. The Simonside hills rise to the south, to the north-esst it overlooks the valley. (a) (5)
All that remains is a portion of the massive walls to a height of 30 or 40 feet, being 9 feet thick at the base. It has been a border pele of the ordinary type, with probably a barmkin. It stands on a slight eminence on the brink of a spring of water.
The tower was probably built about the end of the 15th c. or beginning of the 16th c. (6)
Description correct as in authorities (4), (5) and (6). Except for
parts of the E and N wall the facing stone have been robbed leaving the rubble core. The vault has collapsed but the springing is still visible. The SE angle of the building has also fallen but the door jamb referred to by authority (4) still remains. No trace remains of the barmkin mentioned by authority (6).
The tower is in fair condition although wind-sown saplings are growing from the top of the walls. (7)
Condition unchanged. (8)
Tosson Tower. Grade II*. The remains of a C14 pele tower built with remarkable good mortar as shown by its standing after all its lower facing ashlar has been removed.42 ft x 36 ft, walls 9 ft thick.(9)
Tosson Tower, Grade 2* (see list for details). (10)
NU 0293 0051. Great Tosson tower house. Scheduled RSM No 20877. The apparently free-standing tower house, probably of late 15th century construction, survives to first floor level, a height of
7m. (11)
Listed by Cathcart King and Dodds. (12,13) |