East Ditchburn Tower

Has been described as a Possible Pele Tower, and also as a Possible Bastle

There are no visible remains

NameEast Ditchburn Tower
Alternative NamesEast Didgburn
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishEglingham

A survey of c 1715 refers to an old fortified tower at East Ditchburn (Hodgson 1916).

The foundations stand about 100 yards to the NE of the present farmhouse and near the site of the old pond (ie at NU 14022146) (Wilson 1886).

There are no visible remains. The field to the east of the farm has been ploughed many times but no foundations have been encountered. The old pond was at NU 14002142 (F1 EG 18-FEB-55).

The tower at nearby South Charlton was built in 1450 by the second Earl of Northumberland for the protection of his tenants, and this tower may have been built at the same time. It was described as being very old in 1715 (Dodds 1999). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Dodds suggested mid C15 date is speculation. No tower is mentioned in the C16 surveys and Warburton's survey may be subject to some errors, the tower was described as 'old' (no intensifier) but that could just make it a late C16 bastle of some form or even a ruinous thick wall domestic/agricultural building of no defensive quality. The minimal remains certainly suggest a small building.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNU140214
Latitude55.4867515563965
Longitude-1.77968001365662
Eastings414020
Northings621460
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 122
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 114 (slight)
  • 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. 142
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 95
  • Wilson, E.F., 1886, Eglingham and its vicinity, Chillingham and its wild cattle; Wooler, Chatton, &c (Alnwick) p. 18

Journals

  • Hodgson, J.C., 1916, 'List of Ruined Towers, Chapels, etc., in Northumberland; compiled about 1715 by John Warburton, Somerset Herald, aided by John Horsley' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser3) Vol. 13 p. 7 abridged transcription