Ruins of West Lilburn Tower, Lilburn. Photo by Peter Ryder.

(NU 02162413) Lilburn Tower (In Ruins). (1)

In 1509 there were two Towers at West Lilburn the older one was probably built by Sir John de Lilburn who died c.1400. In 1541 the western tower, belonging to Cuthbert Procter, was in ruins with only the walls standing, while the eastern tower, belonging to Sir Cuthbert Ogle, had lately been burnt. At present (1935) only one tower remains and it is not possible to determine which of the two towers it is judging from the external ashlar work, the remains are of late 15th century date. Except for some steps at the south-west corner, the remaining features are confined to a large three storeyed fragment of the east wall.
The tower measures 40' x 33' with walls 6' - the greater part of the north wall remains with the other walls only a few feet high - there is no trace of any outer buildings. (2)(3)(4)

Oblong in plan, of at least three-storey height, the only substantial part of the masonry still standing is on the north side.
The foundations measure 13.4m east-west, 9m north-south, the walls are 2.1m thick. The north wall stands for approximately 6m from the north-west corner, to an approximate height of 11m. Three fragments of the other sides are in site. From the north-west corner, the west wall stands for 2.5m to a height of 1.5m. From the south-east corner, the east wall stands for 2.5m to a height of 2.3m, and from the south-west corner, the south wall stands for 3m to a height of 2m. Elsewhere, the foundations are visible up to a height of 0.2m, except on the north-east corner. Here, the remainder of the north wall has fallen outwards down to the foundations, and lies over a distance of 12m, in several large fragments.
The walls are constructed of cemented rubble, faced on the exterior with well-shaped sandstone blocks, bonded and coursed, and faced on the interior with shaped assorted sizes of sandstone blocks, not coursed or bonded. (5)

West Lilburn Tower, Grade II.
Ruined tower house, 15th century. Dressed stone and rubble, 40ft x 33ft. Only north wall standing, c.30ft high with two small square windows probably 16th century. Springing of former basement vault visible inside and two arched openings. (6)

The tower is a rectangular structure c.13m by 10m externally, its long axis east-west. The walling is of pink sandstone, the external wall faces being of ashlar and the internal faces of squared and coursed blocks. The only part of the building to stand to any height is the north wall, the greater part of which stands to three storeys, probably the full height of the tower.
At basement level the north wall preserves the springing of a longitudinal barrel vault and a chamfered plinth on the exterior. The splayed internal north jamb of an opening towards the centre of the west wall is visible, although most of the footings of the wall are under turf. On the south is a ragged fragment of wall core rising to 1.2m. It is not clear whether this is in situ or one of the many fallen fragments of masonry scattered around the site, but it certainly rests on genuine footings. A fragment of the internal face of the east wall, standing to a similar height, is of very rough masonry and may have been rebuilt, but in situ footings are exposed at the south east corner showing evidence of a mural chamber in the angle.
At first floor level the internal face of the north wall are two doorways with chamfered four-centred arches, with between them one chamfered jamb of a similar opening in a removed cross wall, set west of centre. The wider eastern doorway gives access to a lobby at the foot of a mural stairs. Above it is a corbel which must have carried a floor timber and to the east one jamb of a fireplace, its flue visible in section in the ragged east end of the wall. The narrower western doorway opens on to a small mural garderobe, lit only by a small slit opening that may be a secondary insertion. The base of the stair is lit by a square-headed chamfered window, with sockets for a central iron bar.
The stair rises westward to a slab roofed lobby at second floor level, lit by a similar window. The doorway from the lobby on to the second floor is now simply a ragged hole in the wall. There are fragmentary remains of a second floor garderobe in the north west angle of the tower. Its chute drops to join that of the first floor one, exiting at the wall foot. The lower section of the chute has been exposed by the robbing of the facing stones from the foot of the external wall face.
There is no obvious evidence of any other attached structures. The fact that the tower is set with its long axis following a fairly narrow ridge suggests that it did not serve as a solar to an adjacent hall block. It seems likely to have been a self contained tower house.
There is no direct evidence for the position of the entrance, although it would seem likely to have been towards the east end of the south wall. The mural chamber at the south east corner may have opened off the entrance lobby. Access to the first floor may have been by a stair rising northward within the thickness of the east wall, or westward from the entrance lobby, within the rather thicker south wall.
At first floor level, the cross wall would seem to have divided the tower into a hall and a smaller service room (presumably a kitchen). The second mural stair rose from the hall to the second floor, which seems to have been undivided and was presumably the solar (the owner's private room).
The architectural features, such as they are, suggest the tower is of later medieval date, probably 15th century. (7)

Scheduled. (8)

NU 022 243; NU 022 242. Lilburn tower and chapel. Scheduled No ND/223. (9a)

The tower was extant by 1415, probably after 1403, and a second tower was extant in Lilburn in 1514. One of the towers was ruinous in 1541 and dismantled soon afterwards, the other was sold in 1596, and remained in use until 1828. (9b)