Elsdon Castle is a castle in the village of
Elsdon about to the southwest of
Rothbury
Rothbury is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the River Coquet. It is northwest of Morpeth and of Newcastle upon Tyne. At the 2001 Census, it had a population of 2,107.
Rothbury emerged as an important town be ...
, in
Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, and also known as Mote Hills. The site is a
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
.
The castle is the best preserved
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
motte and bailey castle site in Northumberland. It was built by Robert de Umfraville in 1076, not long after the
Norman Conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Con ...
and stands on a natural spur of a hill.
The site is open to the public without charge.
It consists of a high and wide tall mound or motte to the south, with an embanked crescent-shaped bailey to the north.
Elsdon Castle is thought to have been abandoned after it was superseded by the nearby
Harbottle Castle
Harbottle Castle is a ruined medieval castle situated at the west end of the village of Harbottle, Northumberland, England, west-north-west of Rothbury overlooking the River Coquet. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed buil ...
in 1160.
[ It was abandoned by the mid-13th century, and is not mentioned in the estate of Gilbert de Umfraville when he died in 1245.][
Legend has gathered around the castle. According to one tale a Danish giant lived on the hill and terrorised the neighbourhood. This may be a reference to Siward the Dane, earl of Northumberland in the reign of Edward the Confessor.]High Rochester
Bremenium is an ancient Roman fort (castrum) located at Rochester, Northumberland, England. The fort is one of the defensive structures built along Dere Street, a Roman road running from York to Corbridge and onwards to Melrose. Significa ...
and re-used for building. A pottery vessel is believed to have been discovered in the 19th century.[
]Elsdon Tower
Elsdon Tower is a Grade I listed medieval tower house converted for use as a Rectory situated at Elsdon, Northumberland. Originally part of the estate of Elsdon Castle, it later become a rectory and is now a private residence. The original const ...
is nearby: a pele tower
Peel towers (also spelt pele) are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, mainly between the mid-14th century and about 1600. They were free-standing ...
dating from the late 14th or early 15th century,[
]
References
Citations
Sources
*
External links
Images of Elsdon CastleElsdon Castle
{{Castles in North East England
Castles in Northumberland
Scheduled monuments in Northumberland