Downham Tower, Carham

Has been described as a Certain Pele Tower

There are no visible remains

NameDownham Tower, Carham
Alternative Names
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishCarham

A survey of 1541 refers to a tower "newly built at Downham." It was stated to be incomplete, and awaiting the addition of embattlements and a barmkin (Bates).

There are no apparent remains of the tower, and its site could not be established (F1 RWE 21-DEC-66).

By 1541 two floors had been completed, and a third floor, battlements anda barmkin were added before 1568. It survived an attack by the Scots in 1596. It is not mentioned again (Dodds). (PastScape)

A survey carried out in 1541 mentioned a tower recently built at Downham. It was still incomplete and the battlements and surrounding enclosure had not been finished. There no remains to be seen today, and the precise location is not known. (Keys to the Past)

Gatehouse Comments

Location lost but likely to be under one of older of the current buildings.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNT865339
Latitude55.599479675293
Longitude-2.2158899307251
Eastings386500
Northings633900
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 76
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 43
  • Graham, Frank, 1993, Northumberian Castles Aln, Tweed and Till (Butler Publishing) p. 16
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 347
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 134
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 92-93
  • Vickers, Kenneth H. (ed), 1922, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 11 p. 85-6 online copy
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 31 (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. 31 online copy

Primary Sources