Structure Name: Cartington Castle

Description:
 

Ruins of a fortified manor house, originally a tower house at the northeast corner of a defended rectangular courtyard. The tower walls, which are in excess of two metres thick, for the most part only stand to first floor level.
 

Extant: Yes

Legal Status: Listed Building Grade I, Scheduled Ancient Monument

Location: Cartington Castle, NORTHUMBERLAND

Eastings: 403910m (view map)

Northings: 604520m (view map)

Position Accuracy: 20m

Positional Confidence: Absolute Certainty

Street Address
 

Cartington Farm
 

Structure Types Identified: CASTLE, FORTIFIED MANOR HOUSE

Historical Background
 

Begun by Great Earl Thomas of Lancaster, Cartington Castle was originally planned as a walled enclosure with corner turrets as a defence against border raids. After the Cartington family were granted license to crenellate in 1441, Cartington Castle emerged completed with a tower house in one corner. The castle passed by marriage to the Radcliffe family in 1494.

By the English Civil War, Cartington had passed to the Widdrington's, who held the castle for the King in the 1648 siege after the Battle of Marston Moor, when the southwest tower was destroyed.

The tower house was last occupied in the mid-19th century and fell into ruin shortly after.
 

Chronology:

• 1300 - 1450   Constructed in several stages, culminating in the Cartingtons' great north tower appended with a hall and solar.
• 1441   License to crenellate granted.
• 1494   Cartington Castle passed into the hands of the Radcliffe family.
• EARLY 17TH CENTURY   Alterations made to castle. Tudor windows added in hall block and northeast tower.
• 1648   Cartington Castle damaged during a siege. Southwest tower destroyed.
• LATE 17TH CENTURY   Courtyard filled to first floor level using castle debris. West curtain wall built at new ground level.
• 1654   Northeast tower repaired by Edward Widdrington.
      Entities Involved:
            Sir Edward Widdrington: Repaired northeast tower after siege of 1648.
• EARLY 19TH CENTURY   Castle falls into ruin.
• 1887   Castle repaired and excavated by C.C. Hodges for Lord Armstrong.
      Entities Involved:
            Sir William George Armstrong: Commissioned work.
            Hodges, C C: Carried out work.

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, p.215

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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