Scremerston Tower

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Turris de Skremerston; Scrimmerstone; Skremerston

In the civil parish of Ancroft. In the historic county of Durham; North (Modern Authority of Northumberland, 1974 county of Northumberland).

Possible site of a pele tower with barmkin at Scremerston, recorded in C15 and C16. No traces survive. Wlliam Swinhoe III built a tower at Scremerston before 1402. Although in poor condition in 1541, it had been repaired by 1561 with the addition of a barmkin. After 1603 it was allowed to become ruinous. The tower foundations could be traced on the North side of the village in C19, but there are no traces now.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NU006498

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 6460
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is N3962 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N3962
• Books
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p52-3
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p94
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p353
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p312
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p153
    Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p12, 17, 53
    Raine, J., 1852, History and Antiquities of North Durham (London) p240
    Hodgson, J.C., 1820, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) pt3 Vol1 p28
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • 1561 Survey book of Norham and Islandshire [http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/numblis7.html]
    1541 Survey of the East and Middle Marches [http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/numblis4.html]
    1415 list of Northumberland Castles [http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/numblis2.html]