Willimoteswick Manor, Bardon Mill

Has been described as a Certain Fortified Manor House

There are major building remains

NameWillimoteswick Manor, Bardon Mill
Alternative NamesWillimontswick; Willymonteswyke; Willimowteswike; Willymonnteswyke
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishBardon Mill

Gatehouse with adjacent ranges, C16, altered. Coursed rubble, stone dressings, slate roofs on adjacent buildings. Rectangular gatehouse at north-east corner of rectangular fortified enclosure, 2-storey east range adjoins south end of gatehouse and single-storey north range runs to west. Front of gatehouse: segmental-headed arch into passage with segmental tunnel vault, scattered fenestration including square-headed opening, with elaborate moulded surround, and 2 2-light mullioned windows with hoodmoulds. Oversailing parapet on 3 rounded stepped courses. Rear elevation similar, with small rectangular lights and one 2-light window over entrance passage, parapet with 2 projecting spouts. Interior has 2 square-headed doorways on right side of passage, the second into newel stair in internal circular turret. Various doorway openings and fireplaces. Altered east range has several C16 or C17 window openings with chamfered surrounds towards courtyard and one 1st floor door with chamfered segmental-pointed head. Roof has old principal rafter trusses with collars. North range, now byres, C18 incorporating earlier masonry towards the west end of the north wall. Segmental-headed arches to courtyard, blocked ventilation slits in rear elevation, principal-rafter roof trusses with collars.

Willimontswick was a fortified manor house rather than a true castle. It is of some note historically as the seat of the Ridley family and birthplace of Bishop Ridley (d.1555). (Listed Building Report)

At Willymonteswyke ys a good toure & stone house joyninge there unto of the Inherytence of Nycolas Rydley kepte in good rep'ac'ons. (1541 Survey)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY770636
Latitude54.9668998718262
Longitude-2.35970997810364
Eastings377070
Northings563637
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink
Copyright Les Hull and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.View full Sized Image

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Books

  • Geldard, Ed, 2009, Northumberland Strongholds (London: Frances Lincoln) p. 118
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 399
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 112
  • Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 1 Northern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 154-5
  • Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 199-200
  • Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlisle) p. 133-4 (plan)
  • Rowland, T.H., 1987 (reprint1994), Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p. 11, 48, 49
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 344
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 355-58
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 174
  • Pevsner, N., 1957, Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin) p. 324
  • Hugill, R.,1939, Borderland Castles and Peles (1970 Reprint by Frank Graham) p. 231-4
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 2 p. 433 online copy
  • Tomlinson, W.W., 1897, Comprehensive Guide to Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 163-5
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. xxiii, 48, 383-90 (Also published as the whole of volume 14 (series 2) of Archaeologia Aeliana view online)
  • Hodgson, J., 1840, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Part 2 Vol. 3 p. 340-2 (not very useful) online copy
  • Hodgson, J., 1832, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Part 2 Vol. 2 p. 322-5 online copy
  • Hodgson, J. and Laird, F., 1813, Beauties of England and Wales; Northumberland Vol. 12 p. 116

Antiquarian

Journals

  • Hedley, W. Percy, 1954, 'The Ridleys of Ridley and Willimontswick' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser4) Vol. 32 p. 160-75
  • Gibson, J. 1925-6, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (ser4) Vol. 2 p. 75-8
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. xxiii, 48, 383-90 online copy
  • 1889, The Monthly Chronicle of North Country Lore and Legend p. 517 online copy
  • 1822, The Gentleman's Magazine Vol. 92 Part 1 p. 401-3 online copy

Primary Sources

Other

  • English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010 North East (London: English Heritage) p. 25 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009 North East (London: English Heritage) p. 34 online copy
  • Howard, R.E. and Arnold, A.J., 2009, Willmoteswick, Bardon Mill, Northumberland: Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers (English Heritage Research Department Reports series 87-2009) online summery
  • Wrathmell, S., 1975, Deserted and Shrunken Villages in Southern Northumberland from the Twelfth to the Twentieth Centuries (PhD Thesis Cardiff)