Flotterton Tower, Snitter

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

There are no visible remains

NameFlotterton Tower, Snitter
Alternative Namesffortalicium de fflowayton
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishSnitter

Sir Robert Ogle, owner of Hepple barony, had, in 1415, a small tower at Flotterton. This fortalice had soon disappeared, for in the 1541 Survey there is no mention made of a tower at Flotterton, nor are there any traces of it at the present time (Dixon 1903).

Flotterton comprises a large private dwelling house standing within ornamental grounds, with the home farm a little to the west. The whole is of a late period of construction. There are no traces of a preceding structure to be seen in or around the farmstead. The situation is upon gentle south-east pasture slopes, overlooking the Coquet valley to the south and east, and commanding gently rising slopes to the north and west. The owner, Mr Warton, has heard of no references to the Tower, and can offer no further information (F1 ASP 13-FEB-57). (PastScape)

Flotterton Fortalice. May have stood on the same site as Flotterton House (built 1826) (Long). (Northumberland HER)

Gatehouse Comments

Called a ffortalicium in the 1415 list which is a term used in that listing for larger towers (i.e. Blenkinsopp Castle) although it occurs far down the list amongst the smaller towers. Dixon's suggestion this was a small tower seems unsupported by other evidence but is not unreasonable given other analogues and the tenurial history.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNT999024
Latitude55.3159294128418
Longitude-1.99950003623962
Eastings399900
Northings602400
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 175
  • 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. 348
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 167
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 106
  • Dixon, D.D., 1903, Upper Coquetdale Northumberland: Its History, Traditions, Folk-lore and Scenery (Newcastle-upon Tyne: Robert Redpath) p. 316-7 online copy
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 18 (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. 18 online copy

Primary Sources