Hepple Tower, Hepple. Photo by Peter Ryder.

(NT 98660065) Tower (remains of). (1)

Listed in the 1415 Survey as 'Turris de Heppell'. Described in the 1541 Survey as the tower belonging to Lord Ogle, decayed in the roofs and scarcely in good repair. (2)

In 1853 it was described as being in the last stage of decay, though 50 years before the exterior walls of a strong and stately tower were still standing tolerably entire.
Hepple Castle was probably the manor house of the proprietors of Hepple, as it is said the court leet of Hepple lordship was held here in former times, until the castle, being ruined by the Scots, was totally abandoned by the lord, who removed his court to Great Tosson (a). At the present day Hepple Tower, the only surviving part of what was once a more extensive mansion is a plain tower probably 14th century, measuring internally 26 feet east to west, and 17 feet north to south, with walls 6 feet thick at ground level. The ground floor is covered by a slightly pointed unribbed barrel vault, 17 feet high, under which there was an entresol floor supported by stone corbels. The entrance was by a door in the south side, opening into a small lobby with a mural stair rising westwards. There appear to have been at least two upper stories above the vault. (3)

Remains of a Pele tower stand at the eastern end of the village of Hepple, upon level ground.
The structure measures overall, 10m north to south, by approx 12m east to west. The south-east corner of the building has at some time collapsed taking with it the eastern end of the barrel-vaulted roof of the basement. The outer facing stones of the remains of the east wall
have also disappeared. In the south wall has stood a stair turret, the south-west corner of which remains, jutting out 0.6m from the face. Some of the facing stones of the circular stairway remain in the thickness of the wall at this point. There are no traces now of the original entrance and lobby within. The site is marked by a pile of fallen and overgrown masonry.
The walls at 2.2m thick, narrowing to 1.8m above the basement. They stand to approx 11m at the west end, and are constructed of well-shaped facing blocks of sandstone decreasing in size upwards, and filled with a core of cemented rubble. There are no quoins. A small splayed window in the basement at the west end has been enlarged into an entrance in recent times. Above it at the first floor level are remains of a larger window.
The basement is at present in use as a hay store. (4)

Now in a worse state of disrepair. (5)

Grade I. Hepple Tower
14th century. Built of exceptionally hard mortar, an attempt to demolish it last century had to be given up. A good deal remains, see photo in NCH 15. Has been scheduled as Ancient Monument. (6)

Hepple Tower, Grade II*.
South, west and north sides stand to c.40ft. East bwall collapsed. The walls are c.8ft thick. (7)

NT 9866 0065. Hepple Tower. National monument number 20914. Remains of a 14th century tower house at the east end of the village of Hepple. Measures 12m east-west by 11m north-south. Barrel-vaulted basement, east end collapsed. The remains of a stair can be seen in the southern wall of the basement. The original doorway with draw bar tunnel, and foundations of an entrance lobby have recently been uncovered beneath rubble in the south east corner. The splayed window in the west end has been enlarged into an entrance. The remains of a window can be seen above at first floor level. On the external north wall are traces of wall cupboards indicating the tower was once part of a larger building.The first mention of Hepple Tower is in 1415, when it was described as the home of Sir Robert Ogle who later removed his court to Great Tosson.

Although partially collapsed the tower has a range of architectural features indicating its original form and function. Formerly SAM Northum 26. (8)

The tower is a rectangular structure c.11.6m by 9.8m externally, with walls c.1.8m thick faced with sandstone ashlar in large courses of almost square blocks. The eastern third of the south wall is set 0.6m forward of the remainder, the projection housing the entrance doorway and newel stair. An early 19th century range of farmbuildings (now a holiday cottage) adjoins the west wall.
The western half of the tower stands to around 12m in height and the basement vault is largely intact except for its south eastern part. The eastern half of both side walls are reduced to basement level and the southern half of the east end has completely gone.
The base of the tower has a chamfered plinth, now concealed by the higher ground level on the north. The plinth is stepped down (the vertical sections having a hollow chamfer) on either side of the entrance doorway, which has chamfered jambs but has lost its head. There is a drawbar tunnel (partly blocked) in the internal west jamb and a socket opposite. The inner part of the entrance lobby and its doorway to the newel stair (on the west) are still infilled with rubble. Authority (2) describes the outer doorway as having a pointed head and leading into a passage that had a meurtriere, or murder hole, in the roof; a square headed doorway gave access to the stair which seemed to have been initially straight before ascending as a newel.
Other than the doorway there are few remaining external features. A ragged hole in the centre of the west wall marks the position of a former loop, later broken through to form a doorway. Both north and south walls show the roof lines of attached farmbuildings; the north wall has been partly refaced in rubble, with various secondary features, including a wall cupboard with a stone shelf. Authority (2) reproduces a photograph of the tower in 1884 showing an attached farmbuilding here, intact and roofed.
At first floor level on the west, is the lintel of a square-headed two-light window, possibly inserted; its opening has been reduced in size and the whole area of wall below extensively patched in rubble.
The basement vault has a slightly two-centre arched section. The vault and side walls are of good quality squared stone, although the lower wall faces have been heavily robbed (and later repaired as a conservation measure). At the west end, the semicircular rear arch of the central loop remains between projecting shaped corbels, a little below the level of a series of sockets cut into the haunch of the vault. A ragged opening on the south, below a hole cut through the
vault, may have been a fireplace at some time.
The interior of the upper part of the tower was not inspected. Heavy robbing makes it unlikely that any recognisable features survive.
DISCUSSION:
The tower may have been built in the second half of the 14th century; it is not clear whether it was a solitary tower house or stood adjacent to a hall block. Although some antiquarian references describe the tower as forming part of a larger structure, there are now no clear evidences of this, except for the traces of adjacent structures of relatively late date. The medieval tower would appear to have been at least three storeys in height; the corbels at basement level indicate the existence of some form of loft. (9)

The tower house was attacked by Scottish raiders in 1406, 1416 and 1436. In 1520 it was found to be so badly damaged that the local baron moved his court to Great Tosson, and billetted 20 troops on the local population because the tower was ruinous.(10a)