More information : (NY 93619340) Castle (GT) (Rems of) (1)
The parsonage which is called Elsdon Castle, is a strong old tower. It is known to have existed in the time of Sir Robert Umfreville, who died in 1436. The arms on the south front are those of Sir Robert Taylboys.
The first floor is a vault spanned by one arch, 27 feet by 15 feet, with a recess 7 feet deep, cut through the wall to the windows. A circular stone staircase still leads to the upper rooms, formerly two low rooms containing four chambers each, the first of which was a kitchen with servants apartments, flaggged with stone. Mr Singleton has added various offices to the old building, which he has modernised throughout. (2)
A battlemented walk goes along three sides of the gabled, stone-tiled roof, and the entrance is additionally guarded by projecting machicolations. (3)
The Fortified Vicarage stands overlooking the village of Elsdon upon a knoll, which commands the surrounding countryside in all directions. To the south and west, the ground falls away rather gently, to the north, there is a local depression with steep slopes, with higher ground rising beyond, and to the east are precipitous slopes falling to the Elsdon Burn. The tower, strongly sited, occupies a strategic position at the entrance to the valley of this burn, which runs north-westwards from here up into the hills. It also commands the east-west valley to the south, of the Whiskershiel Burn.
The tower was originally of four storeys with a flat roof. In the 17c, the upper three storeys were coverted into two, and redesigned in the decoration of that period, internally.
A penthouse roof was added, probably about the same time, leaving a battlement walk around it.
The basement retains its barrel vaulted roof, but a large window has been cut in the east end and a smaller one through the south side. A newel stair leads up from the east side of the original entrance to the basement which is through the north side, midway, and now within the present vicarage. It is within the wall, but no trip-step as described by Authority 5 was noticed.
A cupboard on the first floor in the south wall now conceals the original entrance to some mural steps leading down westwards to the basement. The lower exit is now blocked up and its position is not known.
The tower structure is in excellent condition.The walls are of roughly carved and bonded fashioned stone, built upon strong foundations, with large dressed quoins at the corners. The side walls at ground level are 2.7m thick, the end walls 1.8m thick. The original floor levels are indicated by numerous small square-headed windows and arrow slit, the former now blocked up; the latter are retained giving light to the newel stairway. Modern large windows have been inserted at the new floor levels.
Against the north and west sides of the tower, modern extensions have been constructed of two-storey height. (4)
Condition unchanged. (5)
1 Elsdon Rectory Incorporates Elsdon Tower. C14 "the fines of all the existing rectorial tower houses of Northumberland" (Morris). Gutted late C18 and its interior renovated in the Gothic style of plasterwork. The ground floor room 27ft. x 15ft. has a good lath and plaster barrel-vaulted ribbed ceiling; there are bedrooms on the first floor and a fine saloon above them. These 3 s.
correspond to an original 4 s. There is some mediaeval and much C.18 heraldry. A wing was added C. 18 and much enlarged C.19. (6)
Elsdon Tower formerly listed as Elsdon Rectory, Grade 1. Recorded as a 'Vicar's Pele' in 1415 but probably rebuilt in the 16th c. (7)
Listed by Cathcart King and Dodds. (8,9) |