Birtley Castle (Birtley)
[NY 87747787] Birtley Castle (Remains of). (1)
A chief messuage of Birtley is mentioned in 1307, but the name does not occur in the list of castles and fortalices of 1415 nor in the survey of 1541. The ruined walls of Birtley Hall in the vicarage garden may be of a building not earlier than 1611. This date together with the letters 'J.H.' is on a stone built into the wall of an adjoining building.
It was probably built by the cadet line in the Heron family of Chipchase. (2)
Tower at Birtley (possibly as late as 1611). (3)
Photograph of remains. (4)
The vicarage occupies the site of the old pile or castle of Birtley, which judging from the remains of Norman dog tooth ornament and other architectural features was built by the Umfravilles in the latter part of the 12th century. There is however no historical record of a tower which at a later period was known as Birtley Hall. (5)
The remains consist of a main north east-south west wall and portions of two adjoining walls running to the north west. They are some 1.5m wide and up to 2.5m high. In the majority of places the external facing has collapsed and the inner rubble core is clearly exposed.
Modern facing may be seen in places, completed no doubt when the remains were incorporated in the present garden wall. No date stone or dog-toothed ornament is visible within the garden or within the build up of adjacent walls.
The sole architectural feature visible is a slit window which is undateable. The stonewalk is roughly coursed and bonded and appears to be much earlier than 1611. The date stone was originally within the fabric of the adjoining building and may possibly apply to the house preceding the present vicarage and not to the ruined building. See illustration card. (6)
The major part of the surviving wall collapsed in 1963 and has since been crudely rebuilt by the present owner. The remains have also been further slighted by being incorporated into an ornamental garden. (7)
Birtley Tower [details as (2) above]. The walls stand 8ft-10ft high. No decorative features survive; stair was in north west corner. (8)
Birtley Castle in garden of Birtley Hall, Grade II listed building. Ruined castle. Licence to crenellate granted in 1307. Datestone said to have been inscribed 1611. Fragmentary remains. Parts of two walls stand to c.7 feet. (9)
There are slight ruins of a medieval building, generally known as Birtley Castle, in the garden of the present Birtley Hall.
The remains appear to consist of the east (or north east) and south (or south west) walls of a rectangular building, measuring c.13m by c.8m externally. At the north end of the east wall the ragged stub of the north wall is visible; a rather larger fragment of the west wall survives attached at the south west corner. The remains are virtually all either rubble core or obscured by vegetation, except for a section of the outer face of the south wall (now only visible within a pergola) which is of squared stone of reasonable quality. The only architectural feature to survive is in this section, near the east end, and is a plain square headed loop, that may not be in its original condition.
An undated sketch plan and drawing in the NCH shows the remains in a much better condition, with both south and east walls standing high; towards the east end of the former was a large opening, possibly a first floor doorway, with a pointed arch. A newel stair is shown at the north east corner. The drawing also refers to two dated stones, one built into the north east corner of the ruin apparently reading '1107' and the other in the adjacent farmhouse labelled 'I.H' or 'I.L' '1611'.
The NCH account suggests that the '1611' datestone (no longer in evidence) may date the ruins, although the building with the pointed arch shown in the early sketch certainly looks medieval - possibly an early first floor hall. The surviving stonework could well be of medieval date. (10)
Listed by Cathcart King. (11a)
Birtley township was an Umfraville possession until the late 14th century, when it passed to the Percy family. Neither family ever lived there, and it was retained as a letting property. Although recorded as a chief messuage in 1307, a term which usually means a fortified main seat, often a tower, no tenants names were recorded until 1533. No trace of a likely ruin has been seen in the area. In 1611 a small tower was built in Birtley village opposite the church by John Heron, and appears to have been an entirely new construction. (11b)
A chief messuage of Birtley is mentioned in 1307, but the name does not occur in the list of castles and fortalices of 1415 nor in the survey of 1541. The ruined walls of Birtley Hall in the vicarage garden may be of a building not earlier than 1611. This date together with the letters 'J.H.' is on a stone built into the wall of an adjoining building.
It was probably built by the cadet line in the Heron family of Chipchase. (2)
Tower at Birtley (possibly as late as 1611). (3)
Photograph of remains. (4)
The vicarage occupies the site of the old pile or castle of Birtley, which judging from the remains of Norman dog tooth ornament and other architectural features was built by the Umfravilles in the latter part of the 12th century. There is however no historical record of a tower which at a later period was known as Birtley Hall. (5)
The remains consist of a main north east-south west wall and portions of two adjoining walls running to the north west. They are some 1.5m wide and up to 2.5m high. In the majority of places the external facing has collapsed and the inner rubble core is clearly exposed.
Modern facing may be seen in places, completed no doubt when the remains were incorporated in the present garden wall. No date stone or dog-toothed ornament is visible within the garden or within the build up of adjacent walls.
The sole architectural feature visible is a slit window which is undateable. The stonewalk is roughly coursed and bonded and appears to be much earlier than 1611. The date stone was originally within the fabric of the adjoining building and may possibly apply to the house preceding the present vicarage and not to the ruined building. See illustration card. (6)
The major part of the surviving wall collapsed in 1963 and has since been crudely rebuilt by the present owner. The remains have also been further slighted by being incorporated into an ornamental garden. (7)
Birtley Tower [details as (2) above]. The walls stand 8ft-10ft high. No decorative features survive; stair was in north west corner. (8)
Birtley Castle in garden of Birtley Hall, Grade II listed building. Ruined castle. Licence to crenellate granted in 1307. Datestone said to have been inscribed 1611. Fragmentary remains. Parts of two walls stand to c.7 feet. (9)
There are slight ruins of a medieval building, generally known as Birtley Castle, in the garden of the present Birtley Hall.
The remains appear to consist of the east (or north east) and south (or south west) walls of a rectangular building, measuring c.13m by c.8m externally. At the north end of the east wall the ragged stub of the north wall is visible; a rather larger fragment of the west wall survives attached at the south west corner. The remains are virtually all either rubble core or obscured by vegetation, except for a section of the outer face of the south wall (now only visible within a pergola) which is of squared stone of reasonable quality. The only architectural feature to survive is in this section, near the east end, and is a plain square headed loop, that may not be in its original condition.
An undated sketch plan and drawing in the NCH shows the remains in a much better condition, with both south and east walls standing high; towards the east end of the former was a large opening, possibly a first floor doorway, with a pointed arch. A newel stair is shown at the north east corner. The drawing also refers to two dated stones, one built into the north east corner of the ruin apparently reading '1107' and the other in the adjacent farmhouse labelled 'I.H' or 'I.L' '1611'.
The NCH account suggests that the '1611' datestone (no longer in evidence) may date the ruins, although the building with the pointed arch shown in the early sketch certainly looks medieval - possibly an early first floor hall. The surviving stonework could well be of medieval date. (10)
Listed by Cathcart King. (11a)
Birtley township was an Umfraville possession until the late 14th century, when it passed to the Percy family. Neither family ever lived there, and it was retained as a letting property. Although recorded as a chief messuage in 1307, a term which usually means a fortified main seat, often a tower, no tenants names were recorded until 1533. No trace of a likely ruin has been seen in the area. In 1611 a small tower was built in Birtley village opposite the church by John Heron, and appears to have been an entirely new construction. (11b)
N7767
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1956; F H Colquhoun
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1965; R Lewis
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1965; R Lewis
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