Shortflatt Tower

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Shortflat; Shortflate

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

Large pele tower. licence to crenellate granted, in 1305, to Robert Reymes. The only part of the building to date this early is a small turret in the north-east corner of the main house. It was probably once part of a two-storey stone house. The main living rooms would have been on the first floor with the ground floor used as store rooms and for housing animals. The tower was probably built in the later C15. It measures 13.7m by 9.7m and is three storeys high. The main house, with the exception of the turret and short section of wall wall, was rebuilt early in C17. Finally, at some time possibly C18 two wings containing a kitchen and store rooms was added to the rear of the house.

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

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1305 April 5.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NZ07938109

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; 21041

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N10574

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N10574
• Books
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p265-6
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p95
    Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol1 (Cambridge) p137-8
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p195
    Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlise) p108, 111
    Rowland, T.H., 1987 [reprint1994], Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p10, 71, 72
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p341
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p317
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p158
    Pevsner, N., 1957, The Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin) p290
    Hugill, R.,1939, Borderland Castles and Peles [1970 Reprint by Frank Graham] p198-9
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Tomlinson, W.W., 1897, Comprehensive Guide to Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p269
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p421
    Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p8,16
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p404
    Hodgson, J.C., 1827, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) pt2 Vol1 p366-7
• Journal Articles
  • Milner, L., 1976. 'Northumberland Pele Towers: Shortflatt Tower' Archaeological Journal Vol133 p169
    Raimes, A.L., 1955. 'Shortflatt Tower and its owners, Part Two' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol33 p134-141
    Raimes, A.L., 1954. 'Shortflatt Tower and its owners, 1200-1600. With a description of the building and its history by H.L.Honeyman' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol32 p126-159
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • 1415 list of Northumberland Castles [Click here]
    Calendar of Patent Rolls (1301-7) p328