Edlingham Castle

Grade I listed castle in Northumberland, England

Edlingham Castle

Northumberland, England

Edlingham Castle

Edlingham Castle

Coordinates| 55°22′36″N 1°49′06″W﻿ / ﻿55.376755°N 1.818420°W﻿ / 55.376755; -1.818420
Type| Castle
Site information
Controlled by| English Heritage
Open to
the public| Yes

Edlingham Castle is a small castle ruin, having scheduled monument and Grade I listed building status, in the care of English Heritage. It is located in a valley to the west of Alnwick, Northumberland, England. It has been described as "...one of the most interesting in the county", by Nikolaus Pevsner, the architectural historian.[1] Edlingham itself is little more than a hamlet with a church alongside the castle.

The ruins are mostly laid low, though much of the solar tower[2] still stands despite an impressive crack running several stories down to ground level. The foundations and part of the walls of the hall house, gatehouse, barbican and other courtyard buildings are still visible, most dating from the 16th century.

The castle – more properly a fortified manor house typical of many medieval houses in the North of England – guards one of the few approaches to Alnwick through the hills to its west. Its fortifications were increased in response to the border warfare which raged between England and Scotland in the period from about 1300 to 1600.

## History[edit]

View of Edlingham Castle ruins from the gatehouse

By 1174, a John of Edlingham owned a manor house at this location. In 1294, a descendant, Walter of Edlingham, sold it to William de Felton. He strengthened it by building strong ramparts and a gatehouse, fortifying the main hall, and adding other buildings inside a courtyard. In 1396 Elizabeth de Felton inherited it, marrying Sir Edmund Hastings, who added a strong solar tower. Their descendants occupied the castle and estate until 1514. It was purchased by George Swinburne, a constable of Prudhoe, whose family held it until the 18th century.

During this time it gradually fell into disrepair, with most of the buildings dismantled in the 1660s to build nearby farmhouses, but leaving the solar tower intact. In 1978 the Department for the Environment acquired the site and conducted extensive archaeological excavations, prior to which rubble filled the solar tower to a height of three metres.

The site is now in the care of English Heritage and is easily accessible from the nearby church of St John the Baptist, Edlingham. William de Felton is buried there. An interpretation board is on-site, while more detailed leaflets are available from the church for a small donation.

## References[edit]

1. ^ Pevsner N. Buildings of England: Northumberland. Penguin Books, 1957.
2. ^ Robert Liddiard (Editor) Late Medieval Castles at Google Books

## Further reading[edit]

* John Dodds. Bastles and Belligerents, Medieval Strongholds in Northumberland, Keepdate Publishing ISBN 1-899506-45-4
* T H Rowland. Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland, Sandhill Press Ltd 1994 ISBN 0-946098-24-7

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edlingham Castle.

## External links[edit]

* Images of Edlingham castle, North of the Tyne website
* Photos of Edlingham Castle and surrounding area, Geograph website
* Edlingham Castle: Visitor information, English Heritage

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England \- Castles in North East England

County Durham|

* Auckland
* Barnard
* Bowes
* Brancepeth
* Cotherstone
* Durham
* Lambton
* Lumley
* Raby
* Walworth

Northumberland|

* Alnwick
* Aydon
* Bamburgh
* Belford
* Bellingham
* Bellister
* Belsay
* Berwick
* Blenkinsopp
* Bothal
* Bywell
* Callaly
* Cartington
* Chillingham
* Chipchase
* Coupland
* Cresswell
* Dally
* Dilston
* Dunstanburgh
* Edlingham
* Elsdon
* Etal
* Featherstone
* Ford
* Haggerston
* Halton
* Haltwhistle
* Harbottle
* Haughton
* Langley
* Lindisfarne
* Mitford
* Morpeth
* Norham
* Ponteland
* Prudhoe
* Rothley
* Tarset
* Thirlwall
* Twizell
* Wark (on Tweed)
* Wark (on Tyne)
* Warkworth
* Widdrington

North Yorkshire (North East England part)|

* Skelton
* Wilton

Tyne and Wear|

* Hylton
* Newcastle
* Ravensworth
* Tynemouth

Also See: Castles in England

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English Heritage properties in North East England

County Durham|

* Auckland Castle Deer House
* Barnard Castle
* Bowes Castle
* Egglestone Abbey
* Finchale Priory

Northumberland|

* Aydon Castle
* Belsay Hall, Castle & Gardens
* Berwick-upon-Tweed Barracks & Main Guard
* Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle & Ramparts
* Black Middens Bastle House
* Brinkburn Priory
* Dunstanburgh Castle
* Edlingham Castle
* Etal Castle
* Lindisfarne Priory
* Norham Castle
* Prudhoe Castle
* Warkworth Castle & Hermitage

Tyne and Wear|

* Bessie Surtees House
* Hylton Castle
* St. Paul's Monastery
* Tynemouth Castle and Priory

Tees Valley|

* Gisborough Priory
* Piercebridge Roman Bridge

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Locations of bastle houses in the United Kingdom

Cumbria|

* Birdoswald

Durham|

* Beamish Museum
* High Coniscliffe

Northumberland|

* Beltingham
* Black Middens Bastle House
* Chillingham
* Edlingham Castle
* Haltwhistle
* Housesteads
* Ninebanks

Scotland|

* Glenae Tower
* Kinnelhead Bastle-House
* Lowther Hills

* See also: Barmkin
* Border Reivers
* Peel tower
* Tower house
* Tower houses in the British Isles

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