Structure Name: Callaly Castle

Description:
 

Large country house incorporating a medieval tower house with walls seven feet thick, and regularly altered throughout it's history. Irregularly planned, the castle's medieval aspect is hidden under a classical exterior. Callaly Castle is a three-storey manor with five bays and two projecting wings (the left of which contains the original tower) from the south front. Above the central doorway's Corinthian columns is the Clavering coat of arms and a sundial.
 

Extant: Yes

Legal Status: Listed Building Grade I

Location: Callaly, NORTHUMBERLAND

Eastings: 405250m (view map)

Northings: 609860m (view map)

Position Accuracy: 50m

Positional Confidence: Absolute Certainty

Structure Types Identified: CASTLE, COAT OF ARMS, COUNTRY HOUSE, SUNDIAL, TOWER HOUSE

Historical Background
 

Callaly Castle began as a c.14th century tower house owned by the Clavering family, the only trace of which is as part of the existing house's southwest wing. In 1619 Sir John Clavering began a programme of modernisation, followed by Trollope's alterations in 1676, which completed the castle's transition from fortified tower to extensive country house. The house was altered on a regular basis until the 1890s, since when the only major project undertaken has been the subdivision of the house into apartments.
 

Chronology:

• 14TH CENTURY AD   Construction of tower house with vaulted basement.
• EARLY 16TH CENTURY   Castle becomes more extensive.
• 1619   Modernisation by Sir John Clavering.
      Entities Involved:
            Sir John Clavering: Commissioned work.
• 1676   Alterations by Robert Trollope. Northeast wing rebuilt.
      Entities Involved:
            Trollope, Robert: Commissioned work.
• 18TH CENTURY AD   Much building and alteration work.
• 1707   Alterations conceal all Medieval and Jacobean architecture. Construction of southeast wing.
• 1749   Tower walls refaced in ashlar.
• 1757   Northeast wing gutted and made into one storey.
• 19TH CENTURY AD   Further alterations.
• 1836   Construction of northwest wing.
• 1837 - 1843   Southwest wing reduced in size, gutted and rebuilt as two storeys.
• 1840   Rough date of rebuild of west wall of tower.
• 1890   Alterations by a Mr Stephenson of Berwick. New wing added and Clavering Chapel restored.
      Entities Involved:
            Stephenson, ?: Commissioned work.
• 1893   Northeast wing altered.
• 1987   Sub-divided into a series of apartments.

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.207-210

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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