Low Trewhitt (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Nether Trewitt; Low Trewitt; Low Trehwitt; Turris de Terwhit inferioris; Nether Trewhitt

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

OS Map Grid Reference: NU00290480
Latitude 55.33716° Longitude -1.99675°

Low Trewhitt has been described as a probable Pele Tower.

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains.

Description

A tower is recorded at Low Trewhitt in 1415 and again in 1541, when it was described in good repair. The exact site of the tower is not known any more but some earthworks north of the present farmhouse may be associated with it. The farmhouse itself has pieces of reused stonework built into it and these may have come from the ruins of the medieval tower. To the east of the farmhouse, is a range of older buildings, one of which incorporates several features from an older structure. (Keys to the Past)

Mentioned in the 1415 Survey as the 'TURRIS de TERWHIT inferioris'. Described in the 1541 Survey as 'a tower of EDWARD GALLON in measurable good repair' (Bates 1891).
A pele tower once stood at LOW TREWIT, of which there is now no trace. Numerous green mounds which appear to be old foundations, are seen in a field over-looking the RITHE, north of the modern farm house (Dixon 1903).
A small 14c. window built into the west gable of Low Trewitt farmhouse, is believed to be a relic of the pele which is otherwise only extant in the form of foundations mounds in a field not far from another group traditionally the site of the village of 'TIRWHIT INFERIORIS' (Dodds 1940).
NU 0029 0491 Low Trewhitt farmstead stands upon a south-east slope of pasture above the confluence of the Wreighburn, which flows from the north, with the Foxton Burn, which flows from the west. 100.0 m. north of the farmhouse is a rise of ground in a pasture field, surrounded by rig and furrow plough lines, which appears to be the most likely situation for a defensive structure. From this point, the valley of the Wreigh Burn is commanded to the north, either side of which the ground rises gently to north-east and north-west. The site overlooks extensive low ground to the south. The Rithe, Dixon refers, is probably the Wreigh Burn, which offers good natural defence on the east side {Dixon clearly identifies this stream and his reason for choosing to use the local name rather than the Wreigh Burn}. No traces of the Tower are now to be seen. In the west gable-end of an outbuilding, east of the farmhouse is a trefoil-headed stone window of C14 or C15 date. Mr Crisp, the owner/farmer is temporarily absent and could not be contacted (F1 ASP 19-FEB-57).
The position noted by F1 is a small area of disturbed and hummocky ground which appears to answer Dixon's description of 'green mounds and old foundations' (F2 RE 19-AUG-71). (PastScape)

Comments

Given map reference for the current farmhouse. The site of the tower is lost but the earthwork north of the farm are probably of a village. Gatehouse is of the opinion the tower itself was probably at, or near, the farm.

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 4676.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) N2829; 10007*0 (NT SMR).

Books
- Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 169-70
  Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 115 (slight)
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2
  Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 231
  Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 134
  Dodds, Madeleine Hope (ed), 1940, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 15 p. 403
  Dixon, D.D., 1903, Upper Coquetdale Northumberland: Its History, Traditions, Folk-lore and Scenery (Newcastle-upon Tyne: Robert Redpath) p. 343-4 (brief) online copy
  Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 17, 44 (Also published as the whole of volume 14 (series 2) of Archaeologia Aeliana view online)
Periodical Articles
- Hadcock, R.N., 1939, 'A map of mediaeval Northumberland and Durham' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser4) Vol. 16 p. 148-218 esp 182
  Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. 17, 44 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.)
- 1541, View of the Castles, Towers, Barmekyns and Fortresses of the Frontier of the East and Middle Marches Survey of the East and Middle Marches
  1415, Nomina Castrorum et Fortaliciorum infra Comitatum Northumbrie online transcription
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- Ryder, P.F., 1994-5, Towers and Bastles in Northumberland Part 1 Alnwick District p. 35-6
  Potter, Paul C., 1988, National Trust Archaeological Survey: Cragside, Northumbria (Unpublished document)

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