Settlingstones Tower

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

There are no visible remains

NameSettlingstones Tower
Alternative NamesSettlingstone; Satylyngestones; Satlingstones; Satlyngestones
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishNewbrough

At Satlyngestones (name Settlingstones NY 84696826 - O.S.6" 1920) is a tower of the inheritance of William Carnabye, esquire, in measurable good repair (Hodgson 1828).

The farmhouse and outbuildings are all of a late period of construction. No traces of antiquity can be found in or around the farmstead.

The tenant, Mr Cookson, can offer no historical information.

The site is level ground against a very gentle east slope, which overlooks the Settlingstones Burn Valley to the north and east. The ground rises south-wards to a pasture ridge beyond a small vale (F1 ASP 26-OCT-1956). (Northumberland HER)

Site of a Medieval tower house recorded in 1541 “At Satlyngestones ys a toure of thinherytaunce of Will'm Carnabye esquier in measurable good rep'aco'ns” No visible remains. (Derived from PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

The form of this 'tower' is not known but the status of the owner suggests a small tower or, possibly, a superior bastle. Most authors seem to assume a tower house and this is not an unreasonable assumption. PastScape locate this quite precisely to NY84696826, but that is only the location where the written name Settlingstone was placed on the that 1920 map. The visible rig and furrow does limit where the C16 house could have stood and it's most likely situation is the site occupied by the modern house or associated farm buildings.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY845682
Latitude55.0083808898926
Longitude-2.24251008033752
Eastings384500
Northings568200
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.

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 379-80
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 115 (slight)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 353
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 313
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 154
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 47 (Also published as the whole of volume 14 (series 2) of Archaeologia Aeliana view online)
  • Hodgson, J., 1840, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Part 2 Vol. 3 p. 398 (quoting survey) online copy
  • Hodgson, J., 1828, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Part 3 Vol. 2 p. 217 online copy

Journals

  • Hadcock, R.N., 1939, 'A map of mediaeval Northumberland and Durham' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser4) Vol. 16 p. 148-218 esp 186
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. 47 online copy

Primary Sources