Netherwitton Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; castle of Witton; Turris de Witton juxta aquam; Nether Wootton; Netherwitten; Nether Trewhitt

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

Country house of 1685, with remains of an earlier castle, by Robert Trollop for Sir Nicholas Thornton. Three-storeyed square building with wings. This building succeeded the `castle of Witton' built by Roger de Thornton I, parts of which remain and are incorporated. This was extant in 1415 when it was described in a survey as `Turris de Witton iuxta aquam'. Some additions or alterations were made to the castle in 1483. The North side of the house retains a tower staircase and a Mediaeval Roman Catholic chapel, which has not been used as such since the 1700's, both formerly part of the castle. The castle appears to have stood on the site of the present gardens.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NZ10229047

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 23488
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is N11375 '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=N11375
• Books
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p247-9
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p82
    Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlise) p134-5
    Rowland, T.H., 1987 [reprint1994], Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p70
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p338
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p245-6
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p137,174-175
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Tomlinson, W.W. 1902. Comprehensive Guide to Northumberland (Newcastle) p274
    Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p16, 44
    Hodgson, J.C., 1827, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) pt2 Vol1 p316-26
• Journal Articles
  • Hadcock, R.N., 1939, 'Map of Mediaeval Northum and Durham' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol16 p169
    Hodgson, J.C., 1916, 'List of Ruined Towers, Chapels, etc., in Northumberland; compiled about 1715 by John Warburton, Somerset Herald, aided by John Horsley' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser3] Vol13 p8
    1893-4, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle [ser2] Vol6 p210
• 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/numblis5.html]
    1415 list of Northumberland Castles [http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/numblis2.html]