Lindisfarne Steel End

Has been described as a Possible Artillery Fort

There are masonry footings remains

NameLindisfarne Steel End
Alternative NamesThe Heugh; Osborne's Fort
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishHoly Island

Featureless ruin of watch tower for Priory turned into small fort in 1675.

By 1545 three bulwarks had been built on Holy Island, one of them presumably being on the site of the later castle, or a little to the east of it. A survey of 1561 shows that all that had been built at Beblowe then was a platform on the top with an earth wall, much of which had collapsed. The bulwark was regarded as indefensible. (PastScape no 7838 ref. HKW)

Gatehouse Comments

The current remains are of the C17 fort but the geographical topography must make this the location of one of artillery bulwarks (presumably of earth filled wicker gabions) of Henry VIII part of the Palace supply base.

- Philip Davis

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 ReferenceNU129416
Latitude55.6681900024414
Longitude-1.79560005664825
Eastings412950
Northings641650
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 56
  • O'Sullivan, D. and Young, R., 1995, Lindisfarne, Holy Island (London) p. 91-2, 98-9
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 123
  • Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works Vol. 4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p. 674-9
  • Raine, J., 1852, History and Antiquities of North Durham (London) p. 168

Journals

  • Hardie, C., 1994-5, Archaeology in Northumberland Vol. 5 p. 8-9
  • Beavitt, P., O'Sullivan, D. and Young, R., 1987, Northern Archaeology Vol. 8 p. 1-23
  • Astley, 1902, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol. 8 p. 193-4 online copy

Guide Books

  • Cambridge, Eric, 1995, Lindisfarne Priory and Holy Island (London: English Heritage)

Other

  • Northumberland County Council, 2009, 'Holy Island' Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey doi:10.5284/1000177 [download copy > http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/northumberland_eus_2011/downloads.cfm?REDSQUIDARCHIVES_7_799BB461-A0C4-488C-B90DF1259EFE2DA8&area=Holy_Island]
  • Time Team (Mike Aston et al), 2001 (1st broadcast), 'Holy Island, Northumberland' Time Team TV Programme (Time Team, a Videotext/Picture House production for Channel 4) view online
  • Ryder, P., 1994, The Fort on the Heugh Historical Notes & Structural Account