Castles of England/Northumberland

Name
Type
Date
Condition
Image Ownership
/ Access
Notes (Key)
Alnham Vicars Pele Pele tower 130114th century Restored Private
Alnwick Castle Keep and bailey 110112–14th century Restored HH
Duke of Northumberland
Remodelled by Robert Adam and Anthony Salvin.
Aydon Castle Fortified manor house 130114th century Intact EH Converted to farmhouse 17th century.
Bamburgh Castle Keep and bailey 110112–14th century Restored HH
Lord Armstrong
Ruinous by 1704, extensively restored 1894–1904.
Barmoor Castle Tower house 130114–19th century Rebuilt Private 1919th century mansion incorporating remains of 14th century building.
Beaufront Castle Neo-romantic castle 18361836–1841 Intact Private residence 1919th century mansion on site of 15th century tower house.
Bellister Castle Castle 120113–14th century Fragmentary remains Private Ruins adjoining 17th century house.
Belsay Castle Tower house 14391439–60 Intact EH Later ruined building attached.
Berwick Castle Castle 110112–13th century Fragmentary remains EH
Bitchfield Castle Pele tower 130114th century Restored Private Incorporated in later mansion.
Blenkinsop Castle Tower house 130114th century Ruins Private Incorporated in 19th century house.
Bothal Castle Castle 130114th century Rebuilt Private Extensively restored 19th century.
Bywell Castle Castle 140115th century Fragments Private Gatehouse survives.
Callaly Castle Pele tower 130114–15th century Intact Private apartments Incorporated in later country house.
Cartington Castle Pele tower and extensions 130114–15th century Fragmentary remains Private
Chillingham Castle Quadrangular castle 13441344 Intact HH Altered 17–19th centuries, restored after 1982.
Chipchase Castle Tower house 130114th century Intact HH Incorporated in Jacobean house, altered 18–19th centuries.
Cocklaw Tower Tower house 130114–15th century Shell Private, farm Near Wall.
Cocklepark Tower Tower house 1517c.1517 Substantially intact Newcastle University
Corbridge Vicar's Pele Pele tower 13181318 Intact HAL Re-roofed 1910.
Coupland Castle Tower house 150116–17th century Restored Private residence Later additions.
Craster Tower Pele tower 130114–15th century Intact Holiday accommodation Incorporated in later building.
Crawley Tower Pele tower 130114th century Ruins Private A cottage was built within the walls in the 18th century.
Cresswell Castle Pele tower 140115th century Ruin 170118th century parapet.
Dilston Castle Tower house 140115th century Ruins HC Altered 16–17th century, later buildings demolished.
Dunstanburgh Castle Keep and bailey 130114th century Fragmentary ruins EH Spectacular coastal setting.
Edlingham Castle Keep and bailey 130114th century Fragmentary ruins EH
Elsdon Castle Motte and bailey 100111th century Earthworks Private Well-preserved earthworks.
Elsdon Tower Pele tower 150116th century Intact Private Altered, rectory until 1960, restored 1990s.
Embleton Tower Pele tower 130114th century Intact Private 1919th century vicarage attached.
Etal Castle Castle 130114th century Fragmentary ruins EH
Featherstone Castle Castle 130114th century Intact Private 130114th century tower, three further towers added 18–19th century.
Ford Castle Quadrangular castle 130114th century Substantially intact Private Converted into mansion 17th century.
Haggerston Castle Neo-romantic castle 1893c.1893 Fragment Caravan site Surviving tower of c.1893, on site of 14th century castle, in what is now a caravan park.
Halton Castle Tower house 120113–14th century Intact Private residence Attached to later house.
Harbottle Castle Keep and bailey 110112–14th century Fragmentary ruins HAL
Northumberland National Park
Captured by Robert Bruce in 1318.
Haughton Castle Tower house 120113–14th centuries Restored Private Altered 18–19th centuries.
Hexham Moot Hall and Old Gaol Fortified towers 130114–15th century Intact HM Probably once connected by bailey wall, AD1415 list of castles has 'Turris de Hexham'.
Horsley Tower Pele tower 150116th century Intact Private residence
Langley Castle Tower house 1350c.1350 Restored Hotel Restored 1890s.
Lemmington Hall Tower house 140115th century Restored Wedding venue Incorporated in later house.
Lindisfarne Castle Artillery fort 150116th century Restored ENT Remodelled by Edwin Lutyens 1901.
Mitford Castle Keep and bailey 100111–13th century Fragmentary ruins HC
Morpeth Castle Castle 13421342–9 Fragments Landmark Trust Only gatehouse and a section of wall remain.
Norham Castle Keep and bailey 110112th century Ruins EH Keep remodelled 1422–5, partly rebuilt 1513–15.
Preston Tower Pele tower 1401c.1400 Fragment HC South wall remains, with two of the original four turrets.
Prior Castell's Tower Tower house 140115–16th century Substantially intact ENT
Prudhoe Castle Castle 110112–14th century Ruins EH
Shilbottle Tower Pele tower 140115th century Restored Private Incorporated into a vicarage.
Shortflatt Tower Pele tower 130114–15th century Restored Wedding venue Incorporated in later house.
Thirlwall Castle Tower house 130114th century Fragmentary ruins HAL
Northumberland National Park
Built with stone from Hadrian's Wall.
Twizell Castle Tower house 140115–18th century Fragmentary ruins HAL Medieval ruins incorporated in 18th century folly.
Warkworth Castle Keep and bailey 110112–14th century Ruins EH Although looked after by English Heritage, partly owned by the Duke of Northumberland.
Whittingham Tower Pele tower 120113–14th century Restored Private Converted for use as almshouses in 1845.
Whitton Tower Pele tower 1386c.1386 Intact Holiday accommodation Near Rothbury, well-preserved.
Willimoteswick Castle Fortified manor house 150116th century Ruins Private, farm Incorporates remains of earlier building, largely rebuilt 1900.


Twizell Castle stands on a bend of the River Till at Tillmouth Park, Northumberland. Below it, the medieval Twizell bridge spans the river. The gardens of the castle contain the earthwork remains of the once lost medieval village of Twizell, whilst the massive ruin presents the remains of an 18th century castle which was never completed.

Twizell Castle

A medieval tower house which once stood on the site was, in 1415, held by Sir John Heron. This was destroyed by the Scots in 1496, and the estate was sold by the Herons circa 1520 to a member of the Selby family. A survey in 1561 reported only the remnants of a tower house and a barmkin. Of the medieval structure, blocked windows, a chamfered doorway and the original north-east angle quoins are all that remains visible now.

In 1685 Sir Francis Blake purchased the estate from the widow Selby for £1,944, plus an annuity of £100, and the Blake family lived on the estate until 1738 when they moved to nearby Tillmouth Hall. From about 1770, he worked on the recreation of the castle as a Gothic Revival mansion, designed by architect James Nesbit of Kelso to be five levels tall. Despite some forty years of work, the project was never completed. When in 1882, the Blake's built a new mansion at Tillmouth Park much of the incomplete Twizell Castle was demolished and the stone used in the new construction. The house is now a two-story folly. Rectangular in plan, with circular towers on the angles and two wings on the north side, the basement rooms in the main block are stone and brick-vaulted as a precaution against fire.