Walltown Tower
Has been described as a Certain Pele Tower
There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains
Name | Walltown Tower |
Alternative Names | Wawetowne; Waughtown |
Historic Country | Northumberland |
Modern Authority | Northumberland |
1974 Authority | Northumberland |
Civil Parish | Greenhead |
A tower stood at Walltown in the 16th century and is mentioned in a document of 1541. It would have been built to protect a family against raids and attacks from the Scottish borders during the medieval period. The foundations were said to be visible in the 19th century but today there is just a series of mounds. Much of the stonework from the tower has been reused in nearby buildings. (Keys to the Past)
The Tower of Walltown, in 1542 (At which time orders were given that a watch be kept nightly by two men upon the "Wall-crag, between the Walltown and Tlndale Eshe:" and, In 1552, It was also ordered that the "Waughtown be kept on the night with 2 men about the town: John Ridley to search the watch."), is described as of the inheritance of John Ridley, and in good reparations. It was a castellated building. Only a fragment of it remained in Wallis's time: but its site is still distinctly shown by bare craggy masses of the heart of its walls, on the bright blue limestone, which covers the whin rock, behind the present farm-house, in an old part of which we saw on a lintel these initials and date—T.M.A. 1713. George Marshall, before the year 1758, in which he was dead, had employed part of the stone of the old tower in enlarging the family mansion-house, to which unfinished additions have since been made; but the whole has now for many years been occupied only as a farm-house. (Hodgson 1840)
At Wawetowne is a toure of thinherytaunce of John Rydley of the same and is not in good rep'ac'ons. (Bates 1891 transcription of the 1541 survey)
Not scheduled
Not Listed
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid Reference | NY679664 |
Latitude | 54.991870880127 |
Longitude | -2.50258994102478 |
Eastings | 367940 |
Northings | 566480 |