Newhall Tower
Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Motte), and also as a Possible Masonry Castle, and also as a Possible Tower House
There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains
Name | Newhall Tower |
Alternative Names | |
Historic Country | Cheshire |
Modern Authority | Cheshire |
1974 Authority | Cheshire |
Civil Parish | Newhall |
Castle in this vicinity is mentioned in 1275. PastScape reports this as a tower house. 'Newhall Tower is said to have been built around 1227 by the lords Audley. Recorded descriptions imply a fortified manor, perhaps with a pele tower, and having a moat.' (Cheshire HER)
A tower house is documented at Newhall in 1275 when the manor was in the hands of the Audley family. The 'New Hall appears to have been built around 1227 when this land came into the hands of the Audleys, and may have been fortified from this earlier date. Geoffry son of Geoffry Griffin of Barberton held 2 caracutes of land from Nicholas of Audley in return for 3 men at Newhall in times of war. The castle was still in use in 1363 under the Audley family. Meadows referred to as 'Newhall Parke' in documents of the 16th and 17th century may evidence the existence of a park associated with the castle.
Leland recorded that a place of the Lords of Audley in Cheshire between Combermere and Nantwich was now down, but that there was moats (or mottes?) and fair water in the later 16th century. In the later 17th century Dugdale also noted remains of a fortification at Newhall, although nothing was still evident by the time Ormerond published his history of Cheshire in 1819.
A series of earthworks consiting of a circular central mound surrounded by a larger, sub-square ditch that is partially infilled and continues at least as far as the road if not further on the eastern side may be the site of this castle. The tithe award map suggests part of the site may have functioned as part of a watermill and mill-pool complex. (PastScape)
Leland writes 'now down'. Recently a search of air photo's located the site in the centre of modern hamlet of Newhall, site partly overlaided by factory (a late C12 coin hoard found when building this factory in 1939)
"On the western side of the road are the visible remains of the castle consisting of an off-centre circular mound set within a square ditched depression. This is set within the remains of a large sub-rectilinear enclosure that survives as a mixture of earthworks and cropmarks. Significant quantities of dressed sandstone and architectural fragments have been found at the site and re-used, including pillar bases." (Anon, CSG 2007)
Not scheduled
Not Listed
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid Reference | SJ607455 |
Latitude | 53.0053482055664 |
Longitude | -2.58577990531921 |
Eastings | 360780 |
Northings | 345500 |