Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Cresswell Tower
Hob Uid: 25482
Location : Northumberland Cresswell
Grid Ref : NZ2936093350
Summary : Probable 14th century tower house with an early 18th century parapet. Site of a medieval chapel, and adjacent 18th century mansion house, both demolished in the 19th century.
More information : [NZ 29369335] Tower [GT] (1) Tower. Chapel.(2) Tower must be attributed to the 15.c (3) Chapel recorded as ruinous in 1715. (4) The tower measures 21 1/2 ft. long x 16 1/2 ft. wide within, and consists of a strong room vaulted with stone ... the NE. angle of the tower is surmounted with a turret. Wm. Cresswell III, after 1698, demolished the mansion house & chapel - to which the tower was attached - and upon the site, built large additions to the old tower, which formed an extensive residence. (2-5) The Tower is a rectangular building measuring 12.5m x 8.5m. It is of coursed masonry with walls 1.5m thick, and has a slate roof. There are small windows on all sides, a mullioned window on the SE side, and a door on the NW side. There is a small turret on the N corner. There is no trace of the extensive rebuilding mentioned in T2(5) except for the masonry of the battlements which is apparently of later date. In an excellent state of repair the Tower is empty and not used. The mansion house (and probably the chapel) lay to the NW of the tower. The only traces are on the Tower itself, where the roof line is visible as a groove cut into the masonry of the NW side. (6) Condition unchanged. (7) Cresswell Tower. Grade II*. Towerhouse, probably C14; embattled parapet early C18. Squared stone with dressings. Rectangular plan, 3 storeys. Segmental pointed doorways to ground and 1st floors on north, the upper being the original entrance (traces of machicolated projection above). Windows mostly rectangular chamfered loops, except for ground floor vesica on east and larger C17 window, formerly with mullion and transom, on 1st floor south. All openings to lower floors blocked at time of survey. Corbelled-out turrets at eastern angles, smaller corbelled projections at parapet level on south and west. Interior: Ground floor has barrel vault. Newel stair at north-east corner. Contemporary fireplaces, mural staircases and garderobe. The medieval tower of the Cresswells; an adjacent 'mansion house' on the north was built in the early C18 and demolished in the C19. (8) NZ 293 933. Cresswell Tower. Scheduled No ND/290. (9) Creswell was the seat of the Creswell family and their principle residence. (10) Listed by King.(11)

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Source Number : 1
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Source details : OS 6" 1924
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : 4th Ser 1939 (R Neville Hadcock)
Page(s) : 188
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Source Number : 11
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : 2nd Ser 1891 (CJ Bates)
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Source Number : 4
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Source details : 3rd Ser 1916 (JC Hodgson)
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Source Number : 5
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Source details : Hodgson J 1832 History of Northumberland Pt 2 (2) 204-205
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Source Number : 6
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Source details : F1 EG 16-MAR-54
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Source Number : 7
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Source details : F2 RE 28-APR-71
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Source Number : 8
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Source details : DOE (HHR) Boro of Castle Morpeth, Northumbs 18-Dec-1985 7
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Source Number : 9
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Source details : English Heritage SAM List Northumbs March 1994 29
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Source Number : 10
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Page(s) : 225-6
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Probable medieval origin
Monument End Date : 1540
Monument Start Date : 1066
Monument Type : Chapel
Evidence : Conjectural Evidence

Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : C14 construction
Monument End Date : 1399
Monument Start Date : 1300
Monument Type : Tower House, Castle
Evidence : Extant Building

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : C18
Monument End Date : 1799
Monument Start Date : 1700
Monument Type : House
Evidence : Documentary Evidence, Demolished Building

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Altered early C18
Monument End Date : 1732
Monument Start Date : 1700
Monument Type : Tower House
Evidence : Extant Building

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Demolished in the C19
Monument End Date : 1900
Monument Start Date : 1801
Monument Type : House, Chapel
Evidence : Documentary Evidence, Demolished Building

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : ND 290
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Listed Building List Entry Legacy Uid
External Cross Reference Number : 238155
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : NZ 29 SE 2
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1954-03-16
End Date : 1954-03-16

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1971-04-28
End Date : 1971-04-28

Associated Activities :
Activity type : ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY
Start Date : 2000-01-01
End Date : 2000-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 2014-01-01
End Date : 2014-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 2017-01-01
End Date : 2017-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Cresswell Tower