Naworth Castle (The Gatehouse Record)

Description

Castle and seat of the Earls of Carlisle. Probably late C13, first mentioned in 1323 (V.C.H. Cumberland p. 255), licence to crenellate, 1335, granted to Ranulph de Dacre; additions c1520, for and by, Thomas Lord Dacre; further additions 1602 (date & initials W.H. on rainwater head), for Lord William Howard; Vanburgh designed music gallery and screen for 3rd Earl and may have been responsible for work on the kitchen offices; Colvin mentions work by C.H. Tatham for the 5th Earl; Salvin restored the north and east ranges after the fire of 1844. Calciferous and red dressed sandstone, lead and slate roofs, stone chimney stacks. Formerly: tower house (Dacre Tower) with south curtain wall; hall and chapel ranges with north-east angle gate tower (Lord William Howard's Tower) all altered c1520 and 1602; Morpeth Tower added to hall, 1845; C18 & C19 west and south range with Stanley Tower of 1881. East range living quarters of 2 storeys, 9 bays, has flanking 3 storey, one bay towers, with battlemented parapets to each. Small square headed mullioned windows with square leaded panes: large and small round headed mullioned windows to courtyard, have diamond leaded panes. South curtain wall has large C16 pointed arch, with recessed chamfered surround and large iron studded gates, giving access to large open courtyard; arms of Lord William Howard above. North range has external but engaged, Morpeth Tower of 2 storeys, 2 bays: hall of 2 storeys, 9 bays, has raised courtyard entrance, with carved stone panel of Dacre arms above. Square 2-light and round headed 3-light mullioned windows have diamond leaded panes. Battlemented parapet and 1982 slate roof, replacing 1845 lead (grant aided by Historic Buildings Council). West range, 3 storeys, 6 bays, is of similar details, formerly kitchens and servants' quarters, now let as flats. Interior has wood panelled library and other panelled rooms by C.J. Ferguson, with painted gesso overmantel panel of The Battle of Flodden by Burne-Jones and Sir E. Boehm, 1882. Hall gutted by fire 1844, but retains large C16 fireplace with segmental head: wooden hammer beam roof by Salvin 1845. Lord William Howard's tower is supported on ribbed arches crossing the angle of the north-east walls. Lord William's chamber has timber ceiling, c1350, from Kirkoswald Castle, with moulded beams and bosses and panels filled with flowing tracery. (Listed Building Report)

Built 1335. A square keep (Dacre Tower) projects at the south-west corner of a trapezoidal bailey. Residential and service quarters, rebuilt in the 16th century and much modernised, are ranged against the curtain round a central courtyard. A turret rising above the battlements at one corner of the keep served the purpose of both watch-tower and beacon. (PastScape ref. Toy 1953)

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1335 July 27 (Click on the date for details of this licence.).

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Listed Building number(s) 1087643
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 12649.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 3865.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Naworth Castle
  CastleUK.net
  Charles Taylor's ecastles
  Wikipedia entry
  Historic Houses Association
  Old Cumbria Gazetteer
  Abaroth's World
Books
- Grimsditch, Brian, Nevell, Michael and Nevell, Richard, 2012, Buckton Castle and the Castles of the North West England (University of Salford Archaeological Monograph 2) p. 110-111
  Goodall, John, 2011, The English Castle 1066-1650 (Yale University Press) p. 261, 366, 408, 473
  Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 166-7 (plan)
  Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 76-7
  Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 1 Northern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 233, 263
  Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 45
  Cope, Jean, 1991, Castles in Cumbria (Cicerone Press) p. 101-3
  Jackson, M.J.,1990, Castles of Cumbria (Carlisle: Carel Press) p. 75-7 (plan)
  Brown, R.Allen, 1989, Castles from the Air (Cambridge University Press) p. 161-2
  Furtado, Peter et al (eds), 1988, Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain (London) p. 172
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 89
  Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p. 263
  Hugill, Robert, 1977, Castles and Peles of Cumberland and Westmorland (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p. 141-6
  Pevsner, N., 1967, Buildings of England: Cumberland and Westmorland (Harmondsworth: Penguin) p. 167-8
  Churchill, R., 1954, Fifteen Famous English Homes p. 39-47
  Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p. 206
  Hugill, R.,1939, Borderland Castles and Peles (1970 Reprint by Frank Graham) p. 165-70
  Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 13) p. 188, 213-8, 503
  Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  Wilson, James, 1905, VCH Cumberland Vol. 2 p. 255n1
  Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 2 p. 323-7 online copy
  Ornsby, G. (ed), 1877, Selections from the Household Books of the Lord William Howard of Naworth Castle, 1612-40 (Surtees Society 68) p. lxiv-lxxiii online copy
  Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol. 3 (London) p. 316-26 online copy
  Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 411 online copy
  Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1853, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 2 p. 211 online copy
  Gibson, W.S., 1854, Northumbrian Castles, Churches and Antiquities Part 3 p. 1-42 online copy
  Jefferson, S., 1838, History and Antiquities of Carlisle p. 339-71 online copy
  Lysons, Daniel and Samuel, 1816, 'Antiquities: Castles' Magna Britannia Vol. 4: Cumberland p. cciv-v (plan), 32-3 online transcription
  Buck, Samuel and Nathaniel, 1774, Buck's Antiquities (London) Vol. 1 p. 47
  Grose, Francis, 1783 (new edn orig 1756), Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol. 1 p. 56-61 online copy
Periodical Articles
- Nevell, Richard, 2012-13, 'Castle gatehouses in North West England' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol. 26 p. 258-81 online copy
  King, Andy, 2007, 'Fortress and fashion statements: gentry castles in fourteenth-century Northumberland' Journal of Medieval History Vol. 33 p. 388 (slight)
  Worsley, G., 1987, 'Naworth Castle, Cumberland – I' Country Life 181.7 p. 74-9, 88-91
  Donaldson-Hudson, R., 1956-8, 'Naworth Castle' History of the Berwickshire Naturalist Club Vol. 34 p. 221-31 online copy
  P.A.B., 1911 March 25, Country Life Vol. 29 p. 414-22
  Ferguson, C.J., 1878-9, 'Naworth Castle' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 4 p. 486-95 online copy
  W.D., 1873, The Antiquary Vol. 3 p. 269-71
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1895, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1334-38) Vol. 3 p. 168 online copy
  Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) (lists sources for 1272-1422) p. 157
  Green, M.A.E.(ed), 1872, Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Elizabeth, Addenda 1580-1625 p. 17-18 no. 44 (Reference for for Dacre's 1580 survey of the West March) online copy
  Graham, T. H. B. (ed.). 1934, The barony of Gilsland. Lord William Howard's survey, taken in 1603 (Feild-Booke yt explaines all the Map Booke for Gilsland taken in 1603) (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 16)
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Camden, Wm, 1607, Britannia hypertext critical edition by Dana F. Sutton (2004)
  Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p. 97
  Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1908, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 2 p. 7 online copy; Vol. 5 p. 55 online copy
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- Historic England, 2015, Heritage at Risk North West Register 2015 (London: Historic England) p. 15 online copy
  English Heritage, 2014, Heritage at Risk Register 2014 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 16 online copy
  English Heritage, 2013, Heritage at Risk Register 2013 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 15 online copy
  English Heritage, 2012, Heritage at Risk Register 2012 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 30 online copy
  English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 29 online copy
  English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 27 online copy
  English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 35 online copy

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