Old Bewick Tower

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Old Berwick; Bewyk; Beawick; Bewike; Bewicke

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

Tower was first mentioned in 1509 when it belonged to [the Prior of] Tynemouth. By 1542 it was partly covered with a lead roof, and deemed fit for a garrison of 50 men, but just six years later it was a ruin. Written references mention that it was still in a ruined state in 1608, 1614, 1676, 1678 and 1715. As late as 1866 some old people could still remember the ruins of the tower. However, the Eglingham to Chillingham road was later built over it. A slight bump can still be seen in the road where the house was.

This site has been described as a;
Tower House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NU06692147

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; 5781

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N3613

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N3613
• Books
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p105-7
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p90
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p328
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p290
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p144
    Dodds, Madeleine Hope (ed), 1935, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol14 p425-6
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p403
    Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p23, 42, 310
    MacLauchlan, H. 1864. The Memoir to the Survey of the Eastern Branch of the Watling Street (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p28
    Hodgson, J.C., 1828, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) pt3 Vol2 p209
• Journal Articles
  • 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 p7
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • 1584 Commissioners Report [Click here]
    1541 Survey of the East and Middle Marches [Click here]
    1509 Survey of Tevedale [Click here]