North Charlton Castle Close

Description

The monument includes part of the shrunken remains of the medieval village of North Charlton situated in the coastal plain of Northumberland. The township of North Charlton was held by the lords of Ditchburn and in C13 was the property of Ralph Fitz Roger. In 1296 a document records 12 inhabitants eligible to pay taxes. North Charlton passed to the Beaumont family in the early C14 and, apart from a 20 year spell in the late C15, it remained in their hands until the early C16. The village is aligned east-west and is divided by low banks into small plots with the remains of one building standing up to 0.4m high on the north side. The Charlton Burn separates the north side of the village from an area of ridge and furrow cultivation and a prominent mound called Castle Close. However, there is no evidence of there having been a castle at North Charlton and building foundations on top of the mound have been interpreted as those of the Chapel of St Giles (see NU 12 SE 9). (PastScape)

The monument includes part of the shrunken remains of the medieval village of North Charlton and its open field system, situated in the coastal plain of north Northumberland. The monument is divided into three areas. The township of North Charlton was held by the lords of Ditchburn and in the 13th century was the property of Ralph Fitz Roger. In 1296 a document records 12 inhabitants eligible to pay taxes. North Charlton passed to the Beaumont family in the early 14th century and, apart from a 20 year spell in the late 15th century, it remained in their hands until the early 16th century. A map of 1769 shows a two-row village at North Charlton. The village is aligned east-west and is divided by low banks into small plots with the remains of one building standing up to 0.4m high on the north side. To the south west of this building, across a slight hollow way, is a probable market cross consisting of a stone shaft 1.3m tall, set in a socket stone on a square base of three steps; a cross is referred to in a survey of 1578 as standing on South Row. The cross is Listed Grade II. The Charlton Burn separates the north side of the village from an area of ridge and furrow cultivation and a prominent mound called Castle Close. However, there is no evidence for there having been a castle at North Charlton and building foundations on top of the mound have been interpreted as those of the Chapel of St Giles. The foundations measure 15m by 8m with a structure 6m square attached to the north west side; the interior is slightly raised. The chapel is mentioned in documents in the mid-12th century and had fallen into ruin by the 14th century. Around the base of the mound is a stony bank up to 1m high. The site of a graveyard is thought to lie to the south of the mound where numerous graves were found when the land was under cultivation. To the west of the mound is a sub-rectangular enclosure which overlies the ridge and furrow and is interpreted as a later farmstead. To the east of the village, and now separated from it by the A1 trunk road, are part of the medieval open fields which once surrounded the whole village. They survive in the form of a series of furlongs or fields, each containing well preserved ridge and furrow cultivation. Other earthwork remains of the village survive to the west and are not included in the scheduling as their nature and date are not fully understood. (Scheduling Report)

Comments

This site commands a location where the Great North Road crosses a relatively minor burn. The knoll is natural and the artificial earthwork around the site are not defensive. Where does the 'Castle Close' place name originate? Is this a failed early castle? Did the chapel start out as a castle chapel? Is the name of late origin and based on the superficial resemblance to a motte?