More information : (NT 92900715) Clennel, Described in the Survey of 1541 as a little tower, belonging to Percival Clennell, newly repaired and
brattisched, barmkin being constructed around the tower.
(Not listed in the Survey of 1415 pp 12-20) (1)
The 1895 modernised - Tudor style mansion is attached to an ancient pele tower and an Elizabethan wing.
The tower measures 30 feet by 22 feet, with walls 6 feet thick, and seems to be rather late in date. The ground floor is covered by a segmental barrel vault and has a loophole at one end and entrance door at the other end, in this case the south. The door opened into a lobby with an inner door to the vault. A stair ascends in the wall westwards. In 1568 as is shown by the date on the door-lintel, a new wing was built running westwards, and set with half its depth projecting southwards from the tower. It was two stories high with a south door, having a two-light window on each side and with three windows on the floor above. At the same time or earlier, a storey was added to the old tower, and the Tudor fire place remains. Then or later, an addition afterwards demolished was made to the east side of the tower, and a doorway cut at first floor level to give access to it. The old entrance door was converted into a window, and the mural stair replaced by a passage driven through into the new wing.
About the end of the 17c., a third storey was added to the W wing with a low pitched roof, and the tower roof was altered. During 1895, several large windows were inserted into the Elizabethan wing, and a passage was built crossing the south front of the tower to reach a new east wing. More recently, the upper door in the east wall of the tower has been converted to a window and the old loophole enlarged into a door. (2)
The tower must have been built between 1509 and 1541, since it is not mentioned in the list of border fortresses of 1509. Description correct. The owner, Mr Vining, is abroad, the house is closed up, and the interior details of the Peel were not checked.
Clennell is situated in a strategic position, commanding the
entrance to the valley of the River Alwin which runs to the north.
It also overlooks the confluence of the Alwin with the River Coquet to the south-west, and further hill slopes to the east and
south-east. It commands also a minor valley rising into the hills to the north-east.
There are no traces of the barmkin, added c1541. (3)
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