Holburn Tower

Has been described as a Certain Pele Tower

There are no visible remains

NameHolburn Tower
Alternative NamesHolborn
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishLowick

Possible site of a tower at Holburn. Built by the monks of Lindisfarne between 1350 and 1415. In 1514 it was said to be suitable for a garrison of 20 men. It suffered in a raid in 1516 and was reconditioned as a tower by 1541 with a barmkin. Abandoned shortly after 1553. (PastScape)

A tower at Holburn is first mentioned in a list of 1415. In 1509 it was stated to be capable of holding 20 horsemen. A survey of 1541 describes the tower and barmkin at Holburn as being in good repair (Bates).

There is no evidence or tradition of this at Holburn (F1 ASP 18-NOV-55)

Built by the monks of Lindisfarne between 1350 and 1415. In 1514 it was said to be suitable for a garrison of 20 men. It suffered in a raid in 1516 and was reconditioned as a tower by 1541 with a barmkin. Abandoned shortly after 1553 (Dodds 1999; King 1983). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

The site is lost but, presumably, in Holborn township. The site is possibly under a later building.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNU040361
Latitude55.6191902160645
Longitude-1.93650996685028
Eastings404000
Northings636100
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 50-1
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 114 (slight)
  • Graham, Frank, 1993, Northumberian Castles Aln, Tweed and Till (Butler Publishing) p. 31
  • Rowland, T.H., 1987 (reprint1994), Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p. 32
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 349
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 205
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 122
  • Dodds, Madeleine Hope (ed), 1935, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 14 p. 136-7
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 17, 23, 39 (Also published as the whole of volume 14 (series 2) of Archaeologia Aeliana view online)

Journals

  • Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. 17, 23, 39 online copy

Primary Sources