DescriptionTritlington Old Hall GV II House; medieval tower enlarged 1595, probably by Martin Ogle. Remodelled 1723 by Deodatus Threlkeld, alterations 1900 and c.1980. Stone with dressings, Welsh slate roof. L-plan with stone spiral stair in extruded turret to rear. Entrance front 3 irregular bays. Left bay is south wall of medieval tower, now 1 1/2 storeys with blocked ground-floor window and attic sash under gable of c.1900 capped by stepped and corniced stack. To right south wall of 1595 block refaced 1723, 2 storeys. 4-panel door with 2-pane overlight in stop-chamfered surround of 1900 and renewed 16-pane sash in raised stone surround. 1st floor 2 renewed 12-pane sashes in flush stone surrounds with narrow chamfer, and slightly projecting sills. Right end gable coped with kneelers and renewed stack. On right return former door, now window, in raised and chamfered stone surround. Left return 2 storeys, 2 bays, largely refaced 1923, with plain sash windows of 1900, central small blocked ground-floor window. Rear elevation shows stair-turret partly corbelled-out, with 2 small chamfered-surround windows and weathering of roof of destroyed north range. Both turret and tower at right now have gables of 1900, with sash windows. To left a 3-bay outshut of 1900 heightened c.1980. Old lintel from wall behind re-set at 1st floor level, inscribed MOA (Martin Ogle aedificat?) 1595 IF.
Interior: doorway with chamfered surround at foot of newel stair, blocked doorway, with chamfered surround and relieving arch above, from stair to sitting room. Cellar beneath kitchen has brick barrel vault; bedroom above sitting room has panelled wall with fireplace surround, both probably of 1723.
Deodatus Threlkeld, the Newcastle watchmaker, is described as having 'built' the house, moving into residence in 1723. (Listed Building Report)
Tritlington Old Hall, grade II listed building. House, medieval tower enlarged 1595, probably by Martin Ogle. Remodelled in 1723 by Deodatus Threlkeld; with alterations in 1900 and c.1980. L-plan with stone spiral stair in extruded turret to rear. Left bay is the south wall of a medieval tower. Old lintel re-set at first floor level is inscribed MOA (Martin Ogle aedificat?) 1595 IF.
Deodatus Threlkeld was a Newcastle watchmaker and moved to Tritlington in 1723 (Bibby 1976/7).
Small, complex house with evidence of at least five building phases:
i) medieval house - probably a 14th or 15th century tower house revealed by the character of the masonry of the north and south walls;
ii) 1595 remodelling - a re-set lintel 'MOA 1595 IF' dates the present kitchen block. The new block may have been a 'strong house', a post-medieval successor of the tower. A stair turret in the angle between the two blocks is difficult to interpret and the date remains in doubt;
iii) Deodatus Threlkeld's reconstruction in 1723 - he is recorded as having 'built' the house, in fact this was another remodelling. Large new windows were incorporated in the south wall of the kitchen block; a brick-vaulted wine cellar was built beneath the kitchen. The gate piers and garden walls were also built by Threlkeld;
iv) alterations in 1900 after decline in status after the 'new' Tritlington Hall was built c.1800. Interior also completely remodelled;
v) recent alterations - Martin Ogle's lintel was re-set in a new heightened outshut wall. An old door in the east wall was converted into a window (Ryder 1984).
In overall plan, the house is L-shaped. The east-west horizontal arm is formed by the kitchen wing, now of two storeys and two bays, with a second wing, of similar extent, running north-south across its west end. In the re-entrant angle between the two parts, is a stair turret. An outshut at the rear (north) of the kitchen wing, infilling the remainder of the re-entrance between the two parts, has recently (c.1980) been heightened to two storeys. Farm buildings adjoin the east end of the kitchen wing.
The north and south walls of the west wing are of large squared stone and are around a metre in thickness. The tops of both gables have clearly been rebuilt (probably in 1900). The rather thinner west wall is of slightly smaller stone and may also have been rebuilt. Traces remain of ground floor openings (possibly narrow loops) in the centre of both north and south walls. An old lintel, formerly above a small blocked window in the upper part of the north wall, has been reset in the wall of the heightened outshut; it bears the inscription 'MOA 1595'. Bibby suggests the initials stand for 'Martin Ogle aedificat'.
Old masonry, rubble with very large quite well squared quoins, remains visible externally in the east gable of the kitchen wing. The south wall has been largely rebuilt or refaced. The first floor stonework and the two sash windows with raised surrounds, look of 18th century character, but the ground floor masonry is of c.1900. The north wall of the stair turret, which is set forward slightly from that of the west wing, is partly of squared stone, with an area of rubble running up the middle. This area contains two small chamfered loop windows at ground and first floor levels. The upper parts of the turret wall are entirely of rubble, up to a slight set-back just below eaves level, above which is a gabled top of c.1900.
Internally, the only pre-18th century features are a square headed chamfered doorway (now blocked) with a relieving arch above opening from the westward from the base of the stair.
This is a difficult building to interpret. The fabric of the kitchen wing and stair turret, would go well with the 1595 datestone, whereas the masonry of the west wing looks quite medieval in character. The fact that a doorway from the stair turret opens into the wing implies it is ancient (Ryder 1994-5).
Site noted in a desk-based assessment of the area. The site is noted as a multi-phase extant building, enlarged and remodelled and altered since construction (Scott 2006). (Northumberland HER)
