Newtown Tower, Edlingham

Has been described as a Possible Pele Tower

There are no visible remains

NameNewtown Tower, Edlingham
Alternative Namesturris de Newton juxta Edlingham
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishEdlingham

A tower is recorded at Newtown in the 14th century and again in the 15th century. It stood on a hill and was on the site of an ancient village. (Keys to the Past)

The Newtown of Edlingham, now represented by a homestead with a single inhabited house, is situated within the 700 feet contour line, at the higher part of the ridge on which the ancient village was built. It possesses an extensive prospect to the north and east over pasture and woodland, and to the south over moorlands; it is protected on the north by a small plantation or group of old ash and other forest trees. The rock which crops out at the homestead provides an ideal site for the tower of 'Newton juxta Edlingham,' which once stood here.

The earliest mention of the Newtown in Edlingham is in March, 1334/5, when Matilda, wife of Richard de Acton and daughter and co-heir of Richard de Emeldon, for her purparty ot her father's lands, had assignment of lands here. In the same year Newtown occurs in the enumeration of the knights' fees, forfeited by Earl Patric, granted to Sir Henry Percy; it was at that time held of the Beanley lordship by Sir William de Felton of Edlingham, knight. It is mentioned in inquisitions taken in 1368, 1396, and 1403, after the death of various members of the family of Felton, but in the list of fortalices in 1415 it is stated that the tower was at that time held by a certain John Barker, of whom nothing else is known, and it is probable that he was only an officer of Sir Edmund Hastings, knight, proprietor, in right of his wife, of Edlingham. From 1396 to 1420 Newton formed part of the jointure of Elizabeth, wife of Henry Boynton, widow of Sir John de Felton, knight.

The tower of Edlingham Newtown and certain lands there subsequently came into the hands of the family of Manners. (Hodgson 1904)

A tower was built at Newton juxta Edlingham sometime before 1335. The tower survived until 1660 when it was replaced by a farmhouse

There is no trace of the tower now. (PastScape ref. Dodds 1999)

Gatehouse Comments

The manor existed before 1335 but the evidence that a tower existed at that time does not exist although it is possible; it certainly existed by 1415. The 1715 survey records as "an old pile possest by Madam Howard". Called a turris in 1415. The form of the tower not known but likely to be a solar tower attached to an unfortified hall rather than integral tower house.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNU100084
Latitude55.369010925293
Longitude-1.84353995323181
Eastings410000
Northings608400
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 154
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 352
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 282
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 140
  • Hodgson, John Crawford (ed), 1904, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 7 p. 141-2 online copy
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 17 (Also published as the whole of volume 14 (series 2) of Archaeologia Aeliana view online)

Journals

  • Hodgson, J.C., 1916, 'List of Ruined Towers, Chapels, etc., in Northumberland; compiled about 1715 by John Warburton, Somerset Herald, aided by John Horsley' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser3) Vol. 13 p. 7 abridged transcription
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. 17 online copy

Primary Sources

  • 1415, Nomina Castrorum et Fortaliciorum infra Comitatum Northumbrie online transcription
  • Brewer, J.S. (ed), 1867, Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII Vol. 3 p. 852 No. 1986 online copy