Wallington Hall

Has been described as a Certain Pele Tower

There are masonry footings remains

NameWallington Hall
Alternative NamesWallyngton
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishWallington Demesne

A list of 1415 refers to a tower at Wallington, also referred to as a 'castle' in 1538 (Bates 1891).

Wallington Hall, built in 1688, with 18th century alterations. Of the castle only some cellars remain (Pevsner 1957).

Remains of the tower now form the west cellar of the present Hall, which belongs to the National Trust, but is not outstanding (F1 BHP 24-AUG-1968).

Medieval fragments in cellars, house rebuilt in 1688, and again in years between 1727 and 1751, possibly by Paine. Again altered 1855 by Dobson, with advice from Ruskin. Sandstone, two storeyed, nine bays with a three-bay pediment. Main south front windows have moulded frames, and the doorway has a pediment, otherwise little enrichment but effect depends on good proportions. Whole south front visible from public road which runs through the park without walls or hedges (Listed Building Report).

Wallington Tower or Castle. In list of 1541, a tower and stone walled house are mentioned. Leland recorded that a Tudor house was added to the medieval fortress (Long 1967).

Present house built by Sir William Blackett in 1688. Little remains of 14th century medieval castle which was extended in 15th and 16th centuries under the Fenwick family. Castle pulled down by Sir William Blackett along with attached Tudor dwelling. Present building erected on the site. Golden age of Wallington from 1728 under Sir Walter Calverley Blackett. 18th century decoration in interior (Anderson). (Northumberland HER)

Gatehouse Comments

Called a turris in the 1415 list, Wallington Castle 'the chefist howse of the Fenwiks' by Leland and a stronge toure and a stone house in the 1541 survey which suggest a large solar tower attached to a hall block. Probably at the top end of the pele tower type of fortified houses but not a baronial tower house or a noble castle.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 1 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 ReferenceNZ028841
Latitude55.1520805358887
Longitude-1.95632004737854
Eastings402880
Northings584190
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. 601
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 238-9
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 102
  • Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlisle)
  • Rowland, T.H., 1987 (reprint1994), Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p. 11, 50
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 342
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 333-4
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 165-6
  • Pevsner, N., 1957, Buildings of England: Northumberland (London)
  • Hugill, R.,1939, Borderland Castles and Peles (1970 Reprint by Frank Graham) p. 210-6
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 16, 28, 46 (Also published as the whole of volume 14 (series 2) of Archaeologia Aeliana view online)
  • Hodgson, J., 1827, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Part 2 Vol. 1 p. 265 online copy

Antiquarian

  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p. 344
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 5 p. 65 online copy

Journals

  • Anderson, L.E., 1960, South Shields Archaeology and History Society Vol. 1.8 p. 44
  • Cornforth, John, Country Life Vol. 1157 p. 854-8, 922-6, 986-9
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. 16, 28, 46 online copy

Primary Sources