Benwell Towers

Has been described as a Certain Pele Tower

There are no visible remains

NameBenwell Towers
Alternative NamesBenwell Castle; The Mitre Public House
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNewcastle-upon-Tyne
1974 AuthorityTyne and Wear
Civil ParishNewcastle-upon-Tyne

The earliest reference to a tower is in documents from 1538-39 where it is contained in a list of property lately belonging to the priors of Tynemouth. Both then and in the 1608 Survey of Crown Property it is described as the manor house. It has been suggested that "a gabled residence with projecting chimney stacks" was added to the south-west angle of the tower in the late medieval period, and that then, or earlier, the whole was enclosed by a courtyard. Antiquarian drawings show a plain oblong tower three storeys high with a crenellated papapet, but no medieval windows are visible. In the mid 18th century the house was largely rebuilt, but the house and tower were demolished in 1831, and replaced by the present Benwell Tower. (Tyne and Wear HER (Sitelines))

Gatehouse Comments

Present tower is 4th in a series, but only the second -of the Tudor era- was a true stronghold, this demolished in 1760, and replaced by another, itself replaced in 1831.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNZ211645
Latitude54.9745903015137
Longitude-1.67075002193451
Eastings421180
Northings564500
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 473-4
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 24
  • Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlisle) p. 157
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 345
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 61
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 62-3
  • Pevsner, N., 1957, Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin) p. 88
  • Dodds, M.H., (ed), 1930, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 13 p. 215, 227-30
  • Craster, H.H.E. (ed), 1907, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 8 p. 102 online copy
  • Gibson, W.S., 1846, The History of the Monastery of Tynemouth Vol. 1 p. 225
  • Brand, J., 1789, History of Newcastle Vol. 1 p. 111
  • Bourne, H., 1736, History of Newcastle p. 113

Journals

  • Knowles, W.H., 1922, 'Benwell Tower, Newcastle' Archaeologia Aeliana (Ser3) Vol. 19 p. 88-98 online copy