Ludworth Tower

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Shadforth

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

In 1422 Bishop Langley granted licence to Thomas Holden to crenellate his manor. Only a few fragments of the tower remain, a considerable part having collapsed in 1890. Only the west wall and a fragment of the south wall remain. The building was of 3 stories. There are traces of fireplaces and a newel staircase. The basement is vaulted. South of the road are the walls of several rooms. A bank-and-ditch enclosing the tower is no longer visible. The west wall of the tower measures c.11.2m long x 1.5m wide x 10m high, and contains several nondescript windows. The wall is of rough limestone with ashlar quoins. On its east side is a barrel-vaulted basement 6.7m long and 1.8m high. A later well has been built below it. Around the tower are various banks covering fallen walls and foundations.

This site has been described as a;
Pele Tower.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

A Durham licence to crenellate was granted in 1422.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 110032)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NZ35584130

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 26094

County Sites and Monuments Record number; D1146

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=D1146
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_north/88/ludworthtower.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles and Tower Houses of County Durham (Malvern) p41
    Jackson, M.J., 1996, Castles of Durham and Cleveland (Carlise) p40-42
    Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol1 (Cambridge) p139n3 [slight]
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p30
    Corfe, Tom (ed), 1992, 'The Visible Middle Ages' in An Historical Atlas of County Durhan p28-9
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p136
    Pevsner, Nikolaus; revised by Elizabeth Williamson, 1983, Buildings of England: County Durham (Harmondsworth) p357
    Hugill, Robert, 1979, The Castles and Towers of the County of Durham (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p67
    Pevsner, N., 1953. The Buildings of England: County Durham (Harmondsworth) p181
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Leighton, 1910, in Memories of Old Durham (London) p218
    Gould, Chalkley, 1905, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Durham Vol1 (London) p359
    Whellan, F., 1894 (2edn), History, Topography and Directory of the County of Durham p293
    Boyle, J.R., 1892, Comprehensive Guide to the County of Durham: its Castles, Churches, and Manor-Houses (London) p478
    Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. xv
    Surtees, R., 1816 [1972 Reprint], History and Antiquities of Durham (London) Vol1 p123
    Hutchinson, Wm, 1785-94, The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham Vol2 p586
• Journal Articles
  • Knowles, 1933, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Vol6 p29-32
    1897-8 Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Vol8 p186-7, photo opp 224
    1889-90, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Vol4 p215