[NZ 1310 8136] Rectory. (1)

Incorporated in the rectory at Whalton is part of an old pele-tower, consisting of two vaulted apartments with strong arch roofs. In the inner one are the remains of a spiral staircase, which formerly led to the upper rooms and battlements. (2)

Ref entry. (3)

The remains of the tower measure 6.5m x 10.5m, and the walls are about 1m thick; they are constructed of large and small roughly-shaped stones of sandstone, coursed and partially bonded. The stones have been repointed, and the tower has been much restored. All the windows, three in the west wall, one in the south wall, all on the first storey, are modern insertions.
The only opening at ground level, a doorway in the west wall, may be original. A modern slate roof is gabled north-south. The north gable-end is of original stone work, and suggests the tower to have had three storeys originally. The tower has been extended eastwards with the addition of a building of probable late 18th century date, with a wing to the north, at the extreme east end.
The Rectory is shut up and disused and the interior of the tower was not viewed.
The tower, now backed by the village of Whalton, overlooks low-lying undulating farmland to the south, and stands upon an east-west ridge at about 350' above O.D. The ground continues to rise very slightly to the north. (4)

The remains of the tower are as stated [2 and 4] and are included in the rectory, which is for sale. It is not possible to view the interior as my agent in Newcastle holds the keys. (5)

Condition unchanged. (6)

The Old Rectory, Whalton village (south side), grade II* listed building. Rectory. Late 14th or 15th century tower house, kitchen wing probably 16th century, main block 16th century or earlier was rebuilt in early 18th century. North wing probably 18th century. Bay windows and additions on north side probably 19th century.
The tower house portion has massive rubble walls with megalithic quoins, later tooled to represent coursed masonry. Internally the tower has two ground floor square chambers with parallel segmental vaults. The kitchen wing has walls over 1m thick.

The main block south front is of squared stone; the right return of the main block, the kitchen wing and the ground floor north wing are coursed rubble; the 19th century parts are of tooled squared stone; cut dressings, ashlar in 19th century parts. Welsh slate roof on main block, Scottish slates on kitchen and north wings; rendered brick stacks. Overall L-plan. (7)

The west wing of the house is traditionally seen as a vicar's pele. It is a rectangular structure externally with walls of massive rubble (tooled over on the west to give the appearance of coursed stone) with very large, roughly-shaped angle quoins. The basement consists of two chambers, each c.4m square, with parallel segmental barrel vaults and separated by a cross wall, 0.75m thick, with a central square-headed doorway with a broad chamfered surround. Another chamfered doorway in the east wall of the southern chamber gives access to a mural stair, roofed by a series of lintels set on chamfered corbels; its upper section is now blocked. On the west side of the chamber, is a small fireplace with a chamfered four-centred arch. There are no other old features, except for traces of a blocked opening, probably a window, in the south wall.
Little evidence of regional arrangements remains at first floor level. A large upright block in the west wall might be one jamb of a first floor doorway, but all the windows are of 18th century or later date.
At attic level there is a large relieving arch in the north wall, perhaps associated with a fireplace on the floor below, and a blocked slit window. The roof structure of the main part of the house is apparently of 18th century date and appears to have been constructed after the building was reduced in height.
Adjoining the 'tower' on the east is a block of two storeys and a south front of 2.1.2 bays, with windows in raised stone surrounds. Its proportions are similar to those of several local early 18th century houses. Its eastern gable end looks of older fabric, similar to that of the kitchen wing; its roughly-squared north eastern quoins appear to have continued to a higher level and been truncated by the present roof.
Extending northward from the east end of the early 18th century block is the kitchen wing. This is constructed from smaller rubble quite distinct from that of the tower, but its wall thicknesses, at least on the east, are in excess of 1m. No original architectural features appear to survive.
SUGGESTED DEVELOPMENT:
It is unclear whether the 'tower' stood alone or formed a cross-wing to an earlier hall block on the east. The later scenario seems the most probable bearing in mind that the kitchen wing seems likely, on the strength of wall thicknesses, to be pre-1600. The rough rubble fabric of the 'tower' and such architectural features as survive, would tally with a date at the end of the 15th or in the early 16th century.
It would seem likely that by c.1600 there was a house consisting of a central hall block, the tower at its west end and the kitchen wing extending north from its east end. Both hall block and kitchen wing may have been of three storeys and possibly matched the tower in height.
The house was thoroughly remodelled early in the 18th century, when the roof levels were lowered. Late in the 18th or early in the 19th century came further changes, mainly internal. The present open-well stair with its stick balusters and slender carved newel is probably of this period, as may be some of the decorative ground floor cornices in the main block.
A final phase of alterations can be tentatively dated to c.1830-40. At this time the space between the wings was infilled to give a new entrance front, on the north of the main block, with its front door recessed to the right of a new gabled bay. This extension contained a new 'back stair' giving access to the first floors of both kitchen wing and tower, but not to the bedrooms in the main block; a servants/house distinction seems to be implied here. On the south of the main block the ground floor fenestration was replaced by a pair of canted bay windows. The outbuilding range to the north of the kitchen wing, perhaps of 18th century origin, received an upper floor.
More recently, there have been some alterations to the tower. The present ground floor doorway on the west is a late insertion, as is the basement window in the north wall. (8)

Additional reference (9a)

Listed by Cathcart King and Dodds. (9b-c)