Stone House, Stanhope (The Gatehouse Record)

In the civil parish of Stanhope.
In the historic county of Durham.
Modern Authority of Durham.
1974 county of County Durham.
Medieval County of County Palatinate of Durham.

OS Map Grid Reference: NY99743927
Latitude 54.74839° Longitude -2.00555°

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

There are major building remains.

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

Description

A stone house is mentioned in a terrier of 1608, but it appears to have been converted to cottages before the 17th century. In appearance it is a Medieval pele tower, with the small windows strongly fortified with iron bars in the upper storey, and C17 mullioned windows in the ground floor. The abode of the Medieval rectors of Stanhope (1957 NY93NE58 OS). Its general proportions and externally visible features align it with a group of fine, late 17th century houses centred on the Bollihope Valley (Ryder, 1994). (Durham SMR)

House and wing. Circa 1600. Thinly-rendered rubble sandstone and millstone grit with large irregular quoins and ashlar dressings; stone-flagged roof with stone gable copings. 2 storeys, 4 bays and 2-storey, one-bay left wing. Ledged and boarded door at right in Tudor-arched surround with wide, broach- stopped chamfers; irregular-block jambs to door and to windows with wide- chamfered stone mullions and surrounds. Ground floor has two 3-light windows and one single; single lights above, irregularly-spaced and of varying sizes; 2 small windows at eaves have iron bars and rails. Left extension has C20 door and late C19 sashes under flat stone lintels. Ashlar-corniced left end chimney on main house; massive external stack on extension. Roll-moulded right gable coping. Rear 2-storey, one-bay catslide extension. Interior not inspected. (Listed Building Report)

Alleged to be a former rectory, perhaps a pele, but the walls are thin. (PastScape ref. King 1983)

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Listed Building number(s) 1231097
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 17912.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) D14214.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- The Durham Record
Books
- Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles and Tower Houses of County Durham (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 57
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 139 (possible)
  Egglestone, W.M., 1882, Stanhope and its Neighbourhood p. 86
Periodical Articles
- Ryder, P.F., 1994, 'Bastles in Weardale' The Bonny Moor Hen: The Journal of The Weardale Field Study Society No. 7 p. 4
  1896, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (ser2) Vol. 7 p. 263 (brief)

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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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