Wooler Castle
Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte)
There are earthwork remains
| Name | Wooler Castle |
| Alternative Names | |
| Historic Country | Northumberland |
| Modern Authority | Northumberland |
| 1974 Authority | Northumberland |
| Civil Parish | Wooler |
The tumbled ruins of the 16th century Wooler Tower lie over what is commonly interpreted as a 12th century castle mound or motte, presumed to be the location of a seat of the Muschamp Barony. The mound, natural or otherwise, “eminently defensible but with no sure sign of earthworks” (Pevsner 1992, 634) forms a narrow promontory of land rising abruptly from the east side of Church Street and overlooking Wooler Water beyond. Part of the mound was dissected when Nos.10-12 Church Street were constructed. A document of 1255, describing a “waste mote of no value” at Wooler was taken by Vickers (1922, 329-30) to be referring to this mound. He thought that it had fallen into ruin because Wooler was not the place of residence of the owners of the barony. Alternatively the “waste mote” could refer to Green Castle a prominent mound topped with a ringwork which lies under a mile to the west. The relationship (both chronological and political) between the two sites is obviously of some interest. (Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey)
The mound on which these fragments lie is believed to be natural, rather than artificial, but is the probable site of a 12th century castle with timber defences which belonged to the Muschamps. Documentary evidence records that it was disused by 1255 and the site was not reoccupied until the tower was built in the early 16th century. (Scheduling Report)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
Not Listed
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | NT992280 |
| Latitude | 55.5466117858887 |
| Longitude | -2.01286005973816 |
| Eastings | 399290 |
| Northings | 628090 |
