Structure Name: Blenkinsopp Castle

Description:
 

Blenkinsopp Castle is a 19th century mansion incorporating fragments of a 14th century tower house (specifically the north east tower and entrance hall's east wall) and a colliery agent's house of the 1830s. The north range and the house remains in good condition and is occupied, but the rest is in ruins following a fire and demolition work in the late 20th century.
 

Extant: Yes

Legal Status: Listed Building Grade II, Scheduled Ancient Monument

Location: Blenkinsopp Castle, NORTHUMBERLAND

Eastings: 366490m (view map)

Northings: 564500m (view map)

Position Accuracy: 50m

Positional Confidence: Absolute Certainty

Structure Types Identified: CASTLE, HOTEL, MANSION HOUSE, TOWER HOUSE

Chronology:

• EARLY 14TH CENTURY   Probable period of construction for the castle.
• 1340   Licence to crenellate granted by Edward III on the 6th of May 1340.
      Entities Involved:
            King Edward III: Granted licence to crenellate.
            de Blenkensop, Thomas: Owner of castle.
• 1541   Castle reported to be in a state of decay.
• LATE 18TH CENTURY   Castle in disrepair. Poor house built on the site.
• 1832 - 1833   Mine agent's house built on the site.
      Entities Involved:
            Dobson, John: Possibly responsible for the mine agent's house.
• 1877 - 1880   Restored and enlarged, in the Tudor style, by William Lisle Blenkinsopp Coulson of Jesmond.
      Entities Involved:
            Blenkinsopp Coulson, William Lisle:
• 1930 - 1950   At some point during this period the house was converted to an hotel by the new owners, the Joicey family.
      Entities Involved:
            Joicey Family:
• 1954   Blenkinsopp Castle gutted by a fire.
• 1960s   Part of fire damaged ruins demolished.
• 1986   First floor of 1880 entrance block demolished.

References:

• Images of England
• Keys To The Past
• Northumberland SMR
• Pevsner, N., Richmond, I., Grundy, J., McCombie, G., Ryder, P. and Welfare, H. (2001) The Buildings of England: Northumberland. London, Penguin Books, pp.192-193

The information displayed in this page has been derived from authoritative sources, including any referenced above. Although substantial efforts were made to verify this information, the SINE project cannot guarantee its correctness or completeness.

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