Castlefacts³

Cobby Castle, Tow Law,

Has been described as a Questionable Pele Tower

There are no visible remains

Name	Cobby Castle, Tow Law,
Alternative Names
Historic Country	Durham
Modern Authority	Durham
1974 Authority	County Durham
Civil Parish	Tow Law

Keys to the Past (The online Durham county SMR) record once read "The site is noted as an antiquity on Ordnance Survey maps of the 1960's and early 70's. It does not appear on the 1st edition, nor on the most recent (1987 at the time of writing). No mention is made in VCH/OS or Pevsner. The area was extensively open-cast between 1968 and the early 1980's. An enigma with no visible evidence remaining." However the record now reads "This site was noted as an ancient site on the 1st and later editions of the Ordnance Survey maps. No mention is made of it in other books about the archaeology or history of this area. Open cast mining between 1968 and the early 1980s has damaged the area. This site is poorly understood and there are no remains visible."

Gatehouse Comments

Does appear as Cobby Castle in the 1860 edition of the 6"OS (but not as an antiquity) with the possible look of a small tower from the ground plan, certainly no sign of moat or earthworks on map. On a ridge end in a position which may have been defensible or, equally been a position which gave a mean farmstead a somewhat more imposing air. The modern map shows a footpath leading to the site but there is no evidence on the air photo of the building or the footpath. Jackson puts it in his reject list and calls it a ruinous farmhouse.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record

www.keystothepast.info/article/10339/Site-Details?PRN=D3386

OS Map Grid Reference	NZ135393
Latitude	54.749340057373
Longitude	-1.79123997688293
Eastings	413530
Northings	539390