Errington Tower

Has been described as a Possible Pele Tower

There are uncertain remains

NameErrington Tower
Alternative Names
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishWall

In the north-east corner of the township, about three-quarters of a mile from Watling Street and the same distance from the Erring bum, on a grassy knoll, approached bv a road from the east and west and sheltered on the north by a clump of sycamores, is the homestead now known as Errington or West Errington, but formerly described as Errington hall, and in Captain Armstrong's map of 1769 called a castle. It is now a substantial stone-built house facing south. Its plain front presents a quaint appearance, with a formal line of six narrow windows on the upper floor and corresponding apertures on the ground floor, enriched by effective mouldings. Farm offices are attached. From this, their ancient home, the family of Errington took their name. (Hodsgon 1897)

The ancient Hexhamshire family of Errington held Cocklaw township in 1225 and lived within its bounds at Errington Hall, where now stands the hamlet of Errington. The Hall appears to have been a substantial strong house, but evidently it was not considered strong enough, or perhaps not sufficiently impressive, and the family built and moved into a tower a mile or so to the west, at East Cocklaw, during the second half of the fourteenth century. The original Errington Hall disappeared a long time ago and its replacement, the existing Hall, has no fourteenth century work visible. (Dodds 1999)

Gatehouse Comments

It may well be two different branches of the Errington family occupied Errington Hall and Cocklaw Tower at the same time. If so it is likely this important gentry family would have a house that had some martial symbolism of which a chamber tower attached to a hall is the most likely form. However the evidence for that is entirely suppositional; the 'castle' of 1769 was the current house which is not fortified.

- 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 ReferenceNY959716
Latitude55.0389595031738
Longitude-2.06494998931885
Eastings395900
Northings571600
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 352
  • Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlisle)
  • Rowland, T.H., 1987 (reprint1994), Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p. 46
  • 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. 152
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 99
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Hodgson, John Crawford (ed), 1897, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 4 p. 184 online copy

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. 13 abridged transcription