Belsay Castle

Belsay Castle
A large stone built ruined building. The nearer part is two stories with square windows; behind is a tall square keep with turrets and battlements. In the foreground is grass with a low stone wall; in the background a blue sky with a few white clouds.
Logo of English Heritage, consisting of red stylized crenellations bounding an open square
Belsay Castle
Belsay Castle shown within Northumberland
OS grid reference NZ084785
Coordinates 55°06′07″N 1°52′08″W / 55.102°N 1.869°W / 55.102; -1.869Coordinates: 55°06′07″N 1°52′08″W / 55.102°N 1.869°W / 55.102; -1.869
List of places
UK
England
Northumberland

Belsay Castle is a 14th-century medieval castle situated at Belsay, Northumberland, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building.[1]

The main structure, a substantial three-storey rectangular pele tower with rounded turrets and battlements, was constructed about 1370, and was the home of the Middleton family. In 1614 Thomas Middleton built a new manor house attached to the tower.[1] A west wing was added in 1711 but was later largely demolished in 1872 by Sir Arthur Middleton when the remainder of the house was considerably altered.[2]

The castle was abandoned as a residence by the family in the early 19th century when Sir Charles Monck built Belsay Hall close by.[3] It is administered by English Heritage and is open the public.[4] The interiors were largely removed and it was then used as a ready-made folly, as was fashionable among the aristocracy at the time, serving as setting for garden parties and other entertainments.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Images of England: Belsay Castle". English Heritage. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  2. ↑ "Belsay Castle". SINE Project, University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Archived from the original on 2005-11-02. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  3. ↑ "Images of England: Belsay Hall". English Heritage. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  4. ↑ "Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens". English Heritage. Retrieved 2007-12-21.

Media related to Belsay Castle at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.