Horton Castle (Blyth)
[NZ 28077969] Horton Castle (Site of) Moat. (1)
The licence, for the fortification of his manor house was granted to Sir Guischard de Charron on December 28th 1292. The moat which still exists, was possibly the innermost of two ditches there is now no trace of either the outer ditch or the fortress, the building being dismantled in 1809 'though some portion of it remained 20 yrs. later [1829] that too has now [1909] vanished. It was known as Horton Castle. (2)
No trace of the old Manor House remains. The moat on the south side is now completely filled in, and on the north and east side is visible in one or two places as a vague depression but slopes are not surveyable. No trace was seen of the outer ditch referred to. (3)
Condition unchanged. (4)
Horton Castle; fortalice, pele.
Stood on the site of Low Horton Farm until 1909. In early 13th century there was a manor house on the site. The fortifications granted in 1292 took six years to complete and included a double moat. The Delaval family were the last people to live in the castle, leaving in the 17th century. (5)
Possible remnants of this double moat are visible as earthworks and soilmarks on historical air photos. A broad ditch runs south-west to north-east on the north side of the Horton Castle site. This does not correlate with the moat ditches that are depicted on the Ordnance Survey map of 1865 and may instead be the remains of the outer moat. It has possible corners at either end and the evidence suggests the moat ditch was approximately 13m wide and enclosed a platform approximately 180m long and at least 85m wide (assuming it encircled the inner moat). This ditch is visible as a shallow earthwork on air photos taken in 1960 and as a soilmark on photos taken in 1988, though by that time the western part of the feature had been destroyed by road construction. A small hollow on the west side of Hathery Lane, may also have been part of the moat, or later post medieval pond. This has also been destroyed. The inner moat that is depicted on the 1865 map was not visible on the air photos. (6) (7) (8) (9)
The licence, for the fortification of his manor house was granted to Sir Guischard de Charron on December 28th 1292. The moat which still exists, was possibly the innermost of two ditches there is now no trace of either the outer ditch or the fortress, the building being dismantled in 1809 'though some portion of it remained 20 yrs. later [1829] that too has now [1909] vanished. It was known as Horton Castle. (2)
No trace of the old Manor House remains. The moat on the south side is now completely filled in, and on the north and east side is visible in one or two places as a vague depression but slopes are not surveyable. No trace was seen of the outer ditch referred to. (3)
Condition unchanged. (4)
Horton Castle; fortalice, pele.
Stood on the site of Low Horton Farm until 1909. In early 13th century there was a manor house on the site. The fortifications granted in 1292 took six years to complete and included a double moat. The Delaval family were the last people to live in the castle, leaving in the 17th century. (5)
Possible remnants of this double moat are visible as earthworks and soilmarks on historical air photos. A broad ditch runs south-west to north-east on the north side of the Horton Castle site. This does not correlate with the moat ditches that are depicted on the Ordnance Survey map of 1865 and may instead be the remains of the outer moat. It has possible corners at either end and the evidence suggests the moat ditch was approximately 13m wide and enclosed a platform approximately 180m long and at least 85m wide (assuming it encircled the inner moat). This ditch is visible as a shallow earthwork on air photos taken in 1960 and as a soilmark on photos taken in 1988, though by that time the western part of the feature had been destroyed by road construction. A small hollow on the west side of Hathery Lane, may also have been part of the moat, or later post medieval pond. This has also been destroyed. The inner moat that is depicted on the 1865 map was not visible on the air photos. (6) (7) (8) (9)
N11467
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1954; E Geary
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1968; B H Pritchard
DESK BASED ASSESSMENT, Hathery Lane: Archaeological Assessment 1992; The Archaeological Practice
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1968; B H Pritchard
DESK BASED ASSESSMENT, Hathery Lane: Archaeological Assessment 1992; The Archaeological Practice
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