More information : [NU 0387 0454] Cartington Castle [G.T.] (Remains of) (1)
Fortalice (sic) at Cartington (Rather a Castle). (2)
Cartington: a handsome seat on the top of the hill, and near to it an almshouse in which are maintained three poor Roman Catholic widows (NU 00 SW 20). (3)
At Cartington is a good fortress of two towers and other strong store houses. (4)
Turris de Kartyngton. (5)
The site of Cartington Castle was chosed partly for its abundant supply of fresh sub-soil water and partly for its command of the Debdon pass over the Rothbury Hills. No trace remains of any pre-14th century work. Building seems to have commenced at the SW corner, with the erection of a strong tower. In 1441 a licence to crenallate was obtained and a 1415 survey mentions de Turris, doubtless the SW tower. The description in the 1541 survey shows that the whole castle had been completed. Some time in the reign of Elizabeth I or James I numerous two-light square-headed windows were inserted into the great tower, which was also re-roofed. In the Civil War seige of 1648 the tower and other south range buildings were destroyed. In 1654 the NE tower was repaired by Edward Widdrington and the courtyard raised to first floor level with the debris from the destroyed wings. Additional building followed the Restoration, when the E third of the old hall block was repaired and made into a tall plain wing buttressing the NE tower. Dilapidation was rapid from the early 19th century after the loss of the roofs and the use of the site as a source of building material. Lord Armstrong bought the property in 1883 and instructed C C Hodges to preserve the ruins. The courtyard was cleared out, the stair turret made secure and the great hall window restored.
The castle proper consists of a courtyard separated from the base court by a 'palace' range having a great tower at its N end. There were formerly ranges of buildings on all sides of the court except perhaps the W. This side is a curtain wall 2' 2" thick, built after the Civil War at the new level then formed. On its inner side there is a steep bank down to the original yard level as re-excavated in 1888-89. The S curtain wall of somewhat earlier appearance is 2' 10" thick. The E curtain wall remains with turrets at either end, the W faces of which were joined by the E wall of a 16/17th century building. Thus a narrow court 11' by 31' was formed. The great tower measures 31' 4" E-W by 42' 5" N-S. The ground floor is divided into three parts covered with unribbed semi-circular barrel vaults. There is a boldly projecting stair turret at the SW corner and mural stairs at the NW and SE corners. The N and E walls of the tower are gone. The N wing has a stair turret at its NW corner and, in the middle of the N side, an enormous flying buttress, the upper part of which no doubt consisted of small chambers. The outer walls are over 6' thick at ground level. The upper part of the S wall has collapsed after the building had lost its roof, and was much repaired in 1888
-89. (6)
During the 1888-9 excavations a small 15th century wooden cross, a 15th century finely carved stone bust and coins of Charles II and George I were recovered. The 15th century pieces, along with two sandstone carvings, one a pieta, the other representing the Trinity, had probably been in the castle chapel. A petition to Charles II in 1661 records that the castle, worth £8000, was pulled down by Parlimentarians after the battle of Marston Moor. (7)
About 1824, Mr Robert Robson, the occupier, dug out of the ruins a stone with the date 1030 (sic) and other objects which suggested that the chapel originally stood near the front, or south, of the castle. (8)
The remains of the castle are situated upon the end of a N-S ridge of pasture and arable land. The ridge dips slightly to the N of the site before rising gently to the highest point a quarter of a mile away. Gentle slopes fall to the E to the Spout Burn and to the S and W to the Coquet valley. The site commands extensive views, particularly to the NW.
The walls of the NE tower are fallen above first-floor level except at the SW corner, while those of the N wing are likewise demolished to first floor level except over the buttress and along the S side, where they still stand to third floor level at the E end. A well is exposed in the yard on the N side. Description and plan as given by Auth 6 are otherwise fully correct. The present location of the finds made in 1824 and 1888-89 has not been ascertained. There are no associated earthworks. (9)
Cartington Castle. See plan and photos in County History. Seems to have been begun as a square enclosure with corner towers by the Great Earl Thomas of Lancaster, completed as a courtyard house in C.l5, after partial late C.l4 completion, apparently from a design by the architect who planned the Keep at Warkworth. Altered early C.l7 and drastically, late C.l7 or early C.l8 when the courtyard was filled up to first floor level. Excavated and repaired by the first Lord Armstrong. The castle has been scheduled as an Ancient Monument. (10)
NU 0391 0452. Cartington Castle at Cartington Farm. Scheduled RSM No20903. Ten metres N of the tower house there are traces of a medieval wall and a large terrace, the remains of a garden feature associated with the tower house. To the E and SE rectangular enclosures are visible, surviving as low earthworks, and a large terrace feature is very prominent; early documents testify to the existence of other houses and enclosures, orchards and gardens forming part of the castle complex. (11)
Main events in the castle's history listed by Cathcart King. (12)
History of the castle. (13) |