Adderstone Tower (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Turris de Ederston

In the civil parish of Adderstone with Lucker.
In the historic county of Northumberland.
Modern Authority of Northumberland.
1974 county of Northumberland.
Medieval County of Northumberland.

OS Map Grid Reference: NU141303
Latitude 55.56667° Longitude -1.77688°

Adderstone Tower has been described as a probable Pele Tower, and also as a Bastle although is doubtful that it was such.

There are no visible remains.

This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*.

Description

A tower, possibly a pele tower or bastle, was recorded at Adderstone in 1415. Its exact location is unknown and no trace of such a structure has been identified. (see NU12NW10 for possible site of the pele). The tower was home of Sir Thomas Forster who fought at the Battle of Flodden, the tower having been built before 1415. The tower was incorporated into a mansion in the late 16th or early 17th century, but both were pulled down when a later Thomas Forster built a new house (Adderstone Hall) in the 18th century. (PastScape)

A medieval tower at Adderstone is mentioned in a document of 1415. However, the exact site has never been located and it has been suggested it maybe the same as the tower at Cocklaw. (Keys to the Past)

The fifteenth century tower was incorporated in a mansion during the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. In fact two house were built at about this time, but both were pulled down when Thomas built his new home in the early years of the eighteenth century. This is the still existing Adderstone Hall, said to be close to the site of the tower, but thick woods inhibit visual confirmation. (Dodds 1999)

Comments

The suggestion this is the same as Cocklaw Pele seems to be based merely on the existence of some remains at Cocklaw and it being in Adderstone parish. Cocklaw is not near Adderstone Hall and it doesn't seem likely that Thomas Forster would build a new house so far from the previous one (which was probably thoroughly robbed for the new house).
Given map reference is for Adderston Hall. The form of the C15/C16 house is not know but is recorded as able to house a garrison of 60 horsemen in 1509 so probably a large chamber/solar tower attached to other buildings. It certainly could not be a pele-house type bastle and probably a bit to early to be a large bastle (of the Hebburn type).

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Listed Building number(s) 1370965
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 7403.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) N4917.

Books
- Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 132-4
  Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 114 (slight)
  Rowland, T.H., 1987 (reprint1994), Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p. 26
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 345
  Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 11
  Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 52
  Bateson, Edward (ed), 1893, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 1 p. 221-2 online copy
  Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 12, 17 (Also published as the whole of volume 14 (series 2) of Archaeologia Aeliana view online)
Periodical Articles
- Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. 12, 17 online copy
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- 1415, Nomina Castrorum et Fortaliciorum infra Comitatum Northumbrie online transcription
  1509, Holdis and Towneshyppes too lay in Garnysons of horsmen Survey of Tevedale

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.

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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

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