| Summary : Remains of an elaborate, stone-built, fortified manor house or quadrangular castle of the late 14th century, occupying the site of an earlier manor house. It has been extensively robbed but the surviving masonry, especially the gate tower, is well preserved; the earthworks are also well preserved. |
More information : (Centred NZ 142076) Ravensworth Castle (NR)
(Remains of) (NAT) Belfry (NR) Gateway (NR)
Earthworks (NAT) (1)
Ravensworth Castle, originally a rectangular walled and moated enclosure, was the stronghold of the Fitz-Hughs. In 1201, it was visited by King John, and in 1467 a chapel dedicated to St John the Apostle, was founded as a chantry. The ruins comprise the remains of a 14th century gatehouse, two towers, curtain walling, and the N and E sides of the moat. The castle was largely demolished by 1616. Grade I. (2-4)
The earthworks are supposed to have supplied water to the moat. (5) Published survey (25") revised. The Gatehouse tower is still of substantial proportions, (see GPs from NE), but the Belfry is reduced almost to ground level. Only two fragments of the curtain wall survive in the W and SE. Internally a rectilinear range of buildings can be traced, in part as wall fragments, and part as turf-covered foundations. Elsewhere, irregular shaped mounds and fragments of collapsed walling, now all turf-covered, indicate other buildings too indefinite to survey. Access to the gate was by means of a causeway from the NW.
The moat is extant all round the castle though it is now dry, but the counterscarp bank extends along the south-east sides only.Outside the moat to the NE are the remains of a probable feeder channel and four fishponds. The area extending south and west from the base of the mound is now marsh, and two sections of a wide flat-bottomed ditch (published 'earthworks') on these sides probably represent the remains of an outer drainage moat. (6)
Review of the castle's history and description of the earthworks and extant structures. (7)
NZ 1412 0758. Ravensworth motte and bailey castle, water defence features, park pale and shrunken medieval village. Scheduled RSM No 26937. (8)
Surveyed by the Newcastle office of the RCHME, summer 1997. The castle is essentially an elaborate fortified manor house set within an ornamental landscape, including extensive water-features, of the late 14th century. It occupies a natural mound in a marshy hollow, which had previously been re-modelled in an earlier period; only earthworks survive from this early phase. There is no evidence to suggest that this earlier structure took the form of a motte-and-bailey, as suggested by Authority 8; it was probably also a manor house. There are traces of a complex water management system. The Castle is intimately associated with the deer park (NZ 10 NW 6). A full description is included in the survey archive. (9)
Listed by Cathcart King. (10)
There are 2 gunports, probably of 15th century date. (11) |