Hethpool Tower

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Hethpulle

In the civil parish of Kirknewton. In the historic county of Northumberland (Modern Authority of Northumberland, 1974 county of Northumberland).

The ruins of a C14 tower house situated in the garden of Hethpool House, on a tongue of land in the confluence of the Elsdon and College Burns. The ruin consists of three walls of a square building measuring 7m square. It stands to a height of two storeys, with the south west and south east walls measuring 1.6m thick. The north east wall is only 0.6m thick. The south east wall has an internal set back at first floor level, and a central recess or window above. The building seems to be unusually small for a permanent dwelling, but a reference dating to 1541 referred to it as a 'lytle stone house or pyle' at Hethpool 'whiche ys a greate releyffe to the tennants'. This implies that it was used as an occasional refuge.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 237662)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NT89652835

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 896
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is N635 '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=N635
• Books
  • Ryder, Peter, 2004, 'Towers and bastles in Northumberland National Park' in Frodsham, P., Archaeology in Northumberland National Park (CBA Research report 136) p262-271
    Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p73
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p67
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p200 [slight]
    Rowland, T.H., 1987 [reprint1994], Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p22
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p335
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p202
    Ramm, H.G., McDowall, R.W. and Mercer, E., 1970, Shielings and Bastles (London) p89, no.51
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p119
    Pevsner, N., 1957, The Buildings of England: Northumberland (London) p171
    Hugill, R.,1939, Borderland Castles and Peles [1970 Reprint by Frank Graham] p130-1
    Vickers, Kenneth H. (ed), 1922, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol11 p250
    Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p17
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • 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]