Sockburn Castle

In the civil parish of Sockburn. In the historic county of Durham; County Palatinate of (Modern Authority of Darlington, 1974 county of County Durham).

Earthworks of a Medieval moated manor house and associated structures or possible deserted Medieval village and post-Medieval formal garden. No surviving remains of a castle are visible. Palatinate licence to crenellate granted to Sir Christopher Conyers in 1470.
Leland describes it thus: 'the eldest house of the Coniers with the demains about it of a mile cumpace of exceding pleasaunt ground, is almost made an isle, as Tese ryver windeth about it.' 'At a little distance below the maner-place,' he adds, 'is a grete were for fish. (Smith - from the VCH)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NZ35030705

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

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 25511
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is D175 '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=D175
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles and Tower Houses of County Durham (Malvern) p56
    Jackson, M.J., 1996, Castles of Durham and Cleveland (Carlise)
    Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol1 (Cambridge) p160
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p139 [possible]
    Hugill, Robert, 1979, The Castles and Towers of the County of Durham (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p92-93
    Beresford, Maurice and Hurst, John G. (eds), 1971, Deserted medieval villages: studies (Lutterworth Press) p187
    Page, Wm (ed), 1914, VCH York, North Riding Vol1 p449 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=64784
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p297-300
    Surtees, 1823. History of Durham Vol3 (Durham) p243-6
    Brayley, E. and Britton, J., 1803, Beauties of England and Wales; Durham Vol5 p94
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Deputy Keeper's Report Vol35 App97 [membrane 3 of Calendar of Rolls of Bishop Booth]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/durhameng.html#durham6]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p147
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol1 p69 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl01lelauoft