Greystead; The Bower (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
The Bowre; Boure; "A peel on Chirdon Burn'

In the civil parish of Greystead.
In the historic county of Northumberland.
Modern Authority of Northumberland.
1974 county of Northumberland.
Medieval County of Northumberland.

OS Map Grid Reference: NY75678325
Latitude 55.14309° Longitude -2.38284°

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

There are no visible remains.

Description

In a survey of about 1715 the Bower is referred to together with an 'ancient pile'. The Bower is recorded as early as 1524 when it belonged to Hector Charlton, but the buildings there today are much more recent. There are no traces of a medieval tower in or around the present buildings. (Keys to the Past)

A survey of c.1715 refers to: "The Bowre and ancient pile on ye north side ye River Cherdon" (Hodgson 1916).
There are still fragments of a rude pele tower (Dodds 1940).
The Border Survey of 1604 lists a house and outhouse at the Bower (NT 75678325) (Sanderson 1891).
The 'Boure' or 'Bower' in 1524 was in the possession of Hector Charlton. In 1715 it belonged to William Charlton (Tomlinson 1902).
Bower is a modern farmhouse with outbuildings, situated upon a grassy rise, between the Eals Cleugh to the N, and the Chirdon Burn to the S, and a little W of their confluence. The site is an excellent one for a Pele, being placed centrally in the valley, commanding it to the east and west, and the slopes to high ground to the north and south.
There are no traces of a pele to be seen in or around the present buildings.
The farmhouse is the property of the Forestry Commission. Mr J G Straughan, Forester, has no knowledge of a Pele formerly at Bower (F1 ASP 20-JUL-56).
The 'Bowrie Charltons' were a scion of the Charlton family, and infamous for their reiving from the late 15th century until the mid 18th century. This pele or bastle was their major strongplace from which they raided their neighbours. Although they moved to Redesdale in the early 18th century, they retained The Bower for 'business purposes'. The tower was pulled down in the late 18th century (Dodds 1999). (PastScape)

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 15851.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) N7047.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Tarset Archive Group
Books
- Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 308
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 346
  Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 82
  Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 73
  Dodds, Madeleine Hope (ed), 1940, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 15 p. 278n9
  Tomlinson, W.W., 1902, Comprehensive Guide to Northumberland (London) p. 220
  Hodgson, J., 1835, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Part 3 Vol. 3 plate at end online copy
Periodical Articles
- Hodgson, J.C., 1916, 'List of Ruined Towers, Chapels, etc., in Northumberland; compiled about 1715 by John Warburton, Somerset Herald, aided by John Horsley' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser3) Vol. 13 p. 14 abridged transcription
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Sanderson, R.P. (ed), 1891, Survey of the Debateable and Border Lands adjoining the Realm of Scotland and belonging to the Crown of England taken A.D. 1604 p. 58, 61

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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.

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