Alwinton Vicarage

Has been described as a Questionable Pele Tower, and also as a Questionable Bastle

There are no visible remains

NameAlwinton Vicarage
Alternative NamesAllayton
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishAlwinton

A pele tower was used as a vicarage at Alwinton, and in 1541 was described in poor repair. In 1635 it was recorded that the vicar had lost the 'old pele tower rectory house'. (PastScape)

Described in the Survey of 1541 as a little bastle house, the mansion of the vicar. (Not listed in the Survey of 1415 pp 12-20) (Bates 1891).

John Hearon, mentioned 1628, took possession of the vicars bastle mansion and let it as an alehouse, so that the vicar was obliged to build himself a small cottage to live in (Dixon 1903).

The Revd W Renwick, Vicar of Alwinton, has heard references to the Priests Bastle, but has no information as to where it may have stood. The present vicarage was built a 100 years ago when the church was greatly rebuilt and maybe it was built on the foundations of the Bastle. No traces of an older building could be seen in or around the present structure. The house built by the vicar on his expulsion from the Bastle was indicated to the Investigator by the vicar and stands near the church (F1 ASP 07-MAY-57). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

The clearly visible rig and furrow around the church does mean the possible sites for this tower or bastle are limited and a location under the present vicarage seems likely.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNT923057
Latitude55.3460388183594
Longitude-2.12202000617981
Eastings392300
Northings605700
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 183-4
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 114 (slight)
  • Rowland, T.H., 1987 (reprint1994), Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p. 11, 34
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 345
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 36
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 54
  • Ramm, H.G., McDowall, R.W. and Mercer, E., 1970, Shielings and Bastles (London: HMSO) p. 78-9
  • Dixon, D.D., 1903, Upper Coquetdale Northumberland: Its History, Traditions, Folk-lore and Scenery (Newcastle-upon Tyne: Robert Redpath) p. 225-6 online copy
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 44 (Also published as the whole of volume 14 (series 2) of Archaeologia Aeliana view online)

Journals

  • Hadcock, R.N., 1939, 'A map of mediaeval Northumberland and Durham' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser4) Vol. 16 p. 148-218 esp 172
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. 44 online copy

Primary Sources