Aydon Castle, Corbridge.


Aydon Castle, Corbridge. Photo by Peter Ryder.

[NZ 00136631] AYDON CASTLE [G.T] (Remains of)
[NZ 00146634] TOWER [G.T.]. (1)

Aydon Castle is an almost perfect example of a fortified manor house built at the close of the 13th century. The original house was probably built by Robert de Raymes I. Licence to crenellate was granted on 5th April 1305.
The Raymes do not appear to have resided at Aydon after the 14th century and by 1450 it was in ruins. Subsequently restored by various owners, and today (1914) is in the possession of Sir Hugh Blackett. Across the front of the north west curtain wall of the outer bailey ran a dry moat (see plans).
Scheduled Ancient Monument. (2)(3)(4)

Aydon Castle, in good condition. Traces of a moat which at one time cut off the promontory are visible only on the west side of the building. (5)

Published earthworks (25 inch) revised otherwise condition unchanged. (6)

A small excavation was carried out in 1975 in the north west corner of the curtain wall, ahead of stabilisation work to the wall.
The curtain wall was built during the 14th century after the licence to crenellate was obtained. After lying in ruins for about a century it came into the possession of Sir Reynold Carnaby and restored as a residence. It has been continually occupied until the DOE restoration programme began.
Excavation revealed that some kind of timber building, with mortar floors, had stood in the north west corner through the 14th century. (7)

Aydon Castle. Comprised two baileys and a courtyard. No keep. Very early example of a fortified house, not a castle. The hall is the earliest building on the site. Inner bailey with range of offices built 1305. Captured by the Scots 1315 and 1346. (8)

Aydon Castle, fortified manor house. Most of building existed by 1305, strengthening and enlargement of a 13th century house was by Robert de Raymes.
Earliest surviving buildings c.1280 - hall range, chamber block and its eastern extension. Both have original fenestration. 13th century buildings were not defenceless - the site was strong, and grilles were placed over the larger first floor windows.
In the 14th century a courtyard formed to the north, new two-storey range with kitchen added to the west. Beyond this courtyard an outer curtain wall was built.
Aydon was taken by the Scots in 1315; seized and plundered in 1317; taken by Scots again in 1346. Described as ruinous in 1450. Sold in 1541 to Sir Reynold Carnaby who repaired it. Sold in 1653, when hall was out of use and only the east range was lived in. Continued thus until placed in guardianship. (9)

Division between heiresses which led to the splitting up of Aydon was not partition of a manor but that of the 12 manors of the Barony of Bolam and eight vills held by the barons of Bolam of the Barony of Bolbec. The anomalies of the house are not due to coparcenary (joint ownership). (10)

The excavations in 1975 hoped to retrieve dating evidence for the construction of the curtain wall and features visible in it. Medieval flooring was uncovered and 14th century pottery. Also 12th-13th century pottery was found indicating occupation earlier than the date of the castle. (11)

NZ 0014 6631. Aydon Castle medieval hall, fortified manor house and eighteenth century farm buildings. Scheduled RSM No 23226. The monument known as Aydon Castle, or sometimes Aydon Hall, is a medieval fortified manor house whose elements include a variety of upstanding domestic, ancillary and defensive buildings arranged within three courtyards surrounded by a curtain wall. Also included in the scheduling, due to the manor's conversion to a farmhouse in the 17th century, is an orchard and a range of 18th century farm buildings along the W side of the courtyard. The medieval defensive ditch outside the NW curtain wall is also included, together with the buried remains of the timber-framed hall which preceeded the construction of the fortified house. Full architectural and historical account. (12)

Fourteen samples were taken from the timbers of the roof and attic of the latrine block. A single site sequence and individually dated sample were obtained.Twelve samples spanned the period AD1406 to AD1545. A felling date for the two remaining samples could not be calculated. Thirteen of the timbers in the roof and attic can be dated. Six from the roof are from trees felled in AD1541 and one from the floor is AD1545. There is no indication that the attic floor has ben inserted at a later date but may instead suggest the preparations for construction began in AD1541 when the castle passed to the Carnaby family. (13)

Examination of the kitchen range and its roof made in 1992. The range was added onto a pre-existing service end of the hall range soon after that was constructed. The range was built in two stages, identifiable by the differences in the rubble-coursing used, to end up as a ground floor of two chambers, and a single first floor room. Intermnal features include the doors and fireplaces, sink and garderobe, with chutes out of the building. Later alterations to the range included making it for habitation and later farmyard use. (14)

Tree-ring analysis of ten timbers from the roof of the kitchen range produced a chronology spanning the period AD1424-1543. The timbers were felled in the winter/early spring of 1543/1544 during major alterations to the castle. (15)

Aydon Castle Grade I. Licence to crenellate 1305, but part of building may be late 13th century. Now unhabitated, partly used as farm buildings. (16a)

Aydon Castle. Main buildings and courtyard walls. Grade I. An exceptionally well-preserved building unique in the County. Its interpretation has aroused some controversy, as to whether the house was planned as two dwellings, since functions on ground and 1st floors seem to be duplicated.
Aydon Castle. Outer bailey walls and attached farmbuildings. Grade I. (16b)

The roof-space of the kitchen has been inspected in detail. Dendrochronologicaly dated to a felling date of 1543/4. (16c)

The results of tree-ring (dendrochronological) analysis of timbers from the latrine block at the castle were published in 2002. 13 of the sampled timbers could be dated. Whilst one group could only be dated to a broader period of 1536-61, others from the roof could be given a felling date of 1541, whilst those from the attic floor appear to have been felled AD 1545. The build would appear to be of a piece howver without any obvious later insertions. The dating of the timbers would fit with known historical events: Sir Reynold Carnaby took over the property from the Reymes family in 1541 and when he died in 1543 his younger brother Cuthbert carried on with repairs and improvements. There may have been disruptions to these preperations, such as felling building timber, when the Carnaby estates were attacked, which would explain the difference in felling dates. (16d)