Scremerston Tower

Has been described as a Certain Pele Tower

There are no visible remains

NameScremerston Tower
Alternative NamesTurris de Skremerston; Scrimmerstone; Skremerston
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishAncroft

Possible site of a pele tower with barmkin at Scremerston, recorded in C15 and C16. No traces survive. Wlliam Swinhoe III built a tower at Scremerston before 1402. Although in poor condition in 1541, it had been repaired by 1561 with the addition of a barmkin. After 1603 it was allowed to become ruinous. The tower foundations could be traced on the North side of the village in C19, but there are no traces now. (PastScape)

The foundations of a tower may be traced in a field on the north side of Scremerston (Hodgson 1820).

It is mentioned in 15th and 16th century lists, once as 'with barmkin' (Bates 1891).

There are no visible remains of a tower at Scremerston, and no local tradition of one (F1 DS 29-OCT-1968). (Northumberland HER)

Gatehouse Comments

Map reference is for parish church (this is not medieval although there was a C14 private oratory at Scremerston). The site of this tower is said to have been north of the village. The area has been subject to coal mining and clay pits and works so it is probable that nothing remains.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNU006492
Latitude55.7369995117188
Longitude-1.99101996421814
Eastings400600
Northings649200
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 52-3
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 94
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 353
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 312
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 153
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 17, 53 (Also published as the whole of volume 14 (series 2) of Archaeologia Aeliana view online)
  • Raine, J., 1852, History and Antiquities of North Durham (London) p. 240
  • Hodgson, J., 1820, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Part 3 Vol. 1 p. 28 online copy

Journals

  • Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. 17, 53 online copy

Primary Sources