Castlefacts³

Eden Hall Tower, Peterlee

Has been described as a Rejected Timber Castle (Motte), and also as a Rejected Pele Tower

There are no visible remains

Name	Eden Hall Tower, Peterlee
Alternative Names	Little Eden; Chapel Hill; Chappel Hill; Turris de Parva Eden
Historic Country	Durham
Modern Authority	Durham
1974 Authority	County Durham
Civil Parish	Peterlee

The remains of a tower were demolished in the early 19th century although foundations still remain. The land is known as "Chapel Hill" , and there is a tradition of a chapel at the site, for which there appears to be no other evidence. Perhaps originally both tower and chapel stood adjacent one to the other, or possibly the place name refers to the tower itself? Only very slight traces of foundations were visible in 1954. (Keys to the Past)

The remains of an oblong square tower, the Turris de Parva Eden, were taken down by Rowland Burdon, Esq. in 180?. A field adjoining to the scite of the tower bears the name of Chappel Hill, where some traces of foundations are still visible. (Surtees)

Chapel Hill is now built over by part of the new town of Peterlee. The only foundations found consisted of a few metres of wall, running east to west to the west of Eden Hall. This wall corresponds to the south line of pecks of the small square signifying the site of the chapel on OS 6". No trace of the tower was found. (PastScape ref. Field Investigators Comments F1 JHO 06-OCT-54)

Gatehouse Comments

Clark list "Eden Hall.–South of this is a moated mound?" presumably a reference to Chapel Hill, although there is nothing to suggest this is anything other than a natural hill and even Clark, who does not seem to have been a man afraid to jump to conclusions, seems to have had doubts. The tenurial history given by Surtees is entirely consistent with a tower house and manorial complex here. The status of Durham as a palatinate, with its own records which are not as complete as the Royal records, means a chapel as part of this complex is not improbable. It should be noted that the visible foundations mentioned by Surtees (presumably the same as that mentioned by the field investigator in 1954) were of a supposed chapel not the tower which lay 'nearby'. It may well be that Eden Hall, marked on the 1st edn OS map, was built by Rowland Burdon, on the site of the tower.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)

27225

County Historic Environment Record

www.keystothepast.info/article/10339/Site-Details?PRN=D63

OS Map Grid Reference	NZ434412
Latitude	54.7638702392578
Longitude	-1.32641005516052
Eastings	443440
Northings	541200