Details

The monument includes the remains of an enclosure castle and a later tower
house, situated on the western edge of the steeply incised Whittle Burn. The
castle is visible as a substantial rectangular enclosure, which measures a
maximum of 45m east to west by 72m north to south within a rampart 6m wide and
a ditch 10m wide on the northern and western sides; the eastern side of the
enclosure is afforded natural defence by the steep slopes above the Whittle
Burn and the south side is defended by a natural ravine, now partially
infilled, with a substantial rampart to its south. There is a well preserved
entrance through the centre of the northern and western ramparts. Documents
record the existence of a castle at the site by 1218, when its owner Philip of
Ulecotes was ordered to demolish a new wooden tower which was being
constructed without licence. In 1221 the tower, which despite the earlier
order was still standing, was ordered by the King to be dismantled and its
timbers were removed to build a new gaol at Newcastle upon Tyne. The defensive
earthwork enclosure remained. Minor excavation at the castle in the late 1950s
revealed that the western rampart of the enclosure was surmounted by both a
stone wall and a palisade which were thought to be contemporary with it.
Immediately within the south western corner of the enclosure there are the
remains of a stone built tower thought to be of 15th or 16th century date. The
tower which is roughly 8.2m square is constructed of good quality squared
sandstone. Its walls vary in thickness between 0.9m to 1.5m and its north
eastern corner stands to a height of 6.5m. The east wall of the tower survives
several courses high and contains the remains of two openings; the most
northerly is a window which retains part of an internal splay and the most
southerly is a door which retains drawbar tunnels. The lower courses of two
additional stone walled buildings extend east from the tower, 12m and 10m
respectively, and the low stony platform of a third structure is visible in
the north western part of the enclosure. The late 1950s excavations at the
monument suggested that the tower house was a later feature inserted against
and partially cutting into the rear face of the earlier rampart.
There is a tradition of the legend of Lang Lonkin associated with the tower,
which is also known as `Lonkin's Tower'. The tale of Lang Lonkin, a notorious
pirate who murdered the lady and her child of nearby Welton Hall, is told in a
well known border ballad.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

An enclosure castle is a defended residence or stronghold, built mainly of
stone, in which the principal or sole defence comprises the walls and towers
bounding the site. Some form of keep may have stood within the enclosure but
this was not significant in defensive terms and served mainly to provide
accommodation. Larger sites might have more than one line of walling and there
are normally mural towers and gatehouses. Outside the walls a ditch, either
waterfilled or dry, crossed by bridges may be found. The first enclosure
castles were constructed at the time of the Norman Conquest. However, they
developed considerably in form during the 12th century when defensive
experience gained during the Crusades was applied to their design. The
majority of examples were constructed in the 13th century although a few were
built as late as the 14th century. Some represent reconstructions of earlier
medieval earthwork castles of the motte and bailey type, although others were
new creations. They provided strongly defended residences for the king or
leading families and occur in both urban and rural situations. Enclosure
castles are widely dispersed throughout England, with a slight concentration
in Kent and Sussex supporting a vulnerable coast, and a strong concentration
along the Welsh border where some of the best examples were built under Edward
I. They are rare nationally with only 126 recorded examples. Considerable
diversity of form is exhibited with no two examples being exactly alike. With
other castle types, they are major medieval monument types which, belonging to
the highest levels of society, frequently acted as major administrative
centres and formed the foci for developing settlement patterns. Castles
generally provide an emotive and evocative link to the past and can provide a
valuable educational resource, both with respect to medieval warfare and
defence and with respect to wider aspects of medieval society. All examples
retaining significant remains of medieval date are considered to be nationally
important.

Tower houses are a type of defensible house particularly characteristic of the
borderlands of England and Scotland. At many sites the tower comprised only
one element of a larger house, with at least one wing being attached to it.
These wings provided further domestic accommodation, frequently including a
large hall. If it was incorporated within a larger domestic residence, the
tower itself could retain its defensible qualities and could be shut off from
the rest of the house in times of trouble. Tower houses were being constructed
and used from at least the 13th century to the end of the 16th century. They
provided prestigious defended houses permanently occupied by the wealthier or
aristocratic members of society. As such they were important centres of
medieval life. The need for such secure buildings relates to the unsettled and
frequently war-like conditions which prevailed in the borders throughout much
of the medieval period. Around 200 examples of tower houses have been
identified, of which over half were elements of larger houses. All surviving
tower houses retaining significant medieval remains will normally be
identified as nationally important.
Nafferton castle is well preserved and retains significant archaeological
deposits. The castle is securely dated to the early 13th century and the fact
that it has not been remodelled in subsequent centuries adds to its
importance. The later tower house and associated buildings within the castle
ramparts enhance the importance of the monument.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Hope Dodds, M, The Victoria History of the County of Northumberland: Volume XII, (1926), 254-261
Ryder, P F, Towers and Bastles in Northumberland Part IV Volume 2, (1995), 100-102
Harbottle, B, Salway, P, 'Archaeologia Aeliana 4th ser' in Nafferton Castle, Northumberland: Interim Report, (1960), 129-44
Harbottle, B, Salway, P, 'Archaeologia Aeliana 4th ser' in Nafferton Castle, Northumberland: Interim Report, (1960), 129-144

Source: Historic England