Whitfield Tower

Has been described as a Certain Pele Tower

There are uncertain remains

NameWhitfield Tower
Alternative NamesTurris de Whitfeld
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishPlenmeller with Whitfield

The Whitfield family built a manor house at Whitfield after 1160, and by 1415 had built a fortified tower or tower house. This had been replaced before 1750 when the property was described as being 'large, square, and of no great antiquity'. This building was razed in 1785, and replaced by the nucleus of the present Whitfield Hall. Altered in 1856. (PastScape)

William Ord purchased property at Whitfield in 1750 and William Newton suggested a principal house should be planned. However, it was not until William Ord's son, also William, inherited the property in 1768 that William Newton was asked to provide estimates for a new principal house at Whitfield, which had to include remains of a pele tower and an Elizabethan wing. The mansion is five bays wide and two storeys high. Another storey and other additions were made in 1856. (Northumberland HER ref. Willis 2007)

Whitfield Hall. Remains of the medieval Whitfield Tower are said to be incorporated in the rear wing, but nothing recognizable survives. (Pevsner et al 2001)

Gatehouse Comments

Called a turris in the 1415 list which suggests a small tower, probably a solar tower attached an unfortified hall.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY778564
Latitude54.9018287658691
Longitude-2.34770011901855
Eastings377800
Northings556400
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Pevsner, N., Richmond, I., Grundy, J., McCombie, G., Ryder, P. and Welfare, H., 2001, The Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin Books) p. 624
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 419-20
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 109
  • Ryder, Peter, 1996, Bastle Houses in the Northern Pennines (Alston: The North Pennines Heritage Trust) p. 17, 18
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 355
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 349
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle) p. 172
  • Pevsner, N., 1957, Buildings of England: Northumberland (London) p. 321
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 19 (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. 105 online copy

Journals

  • Willis, M., 2007, 'William Newton - an elusive practitioner' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser5) Vol. 36 p. 275-308
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. 19 online copy

Primary Sources