Chillingham Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Chevelyngham; Chelynggam; Chauelingham; Chevelingham

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

In 1344, Sir Thomas Grey was granted a licence to crenellate his property at Chillingham. He built a quadrangular castle with four corner towers and an inner courtyard. A curtain wall was built around the castle grounds, but this has now mostly disappeared, although some remains can be seen at the end of the Italian Garden. The castle came under attack in 1536 during the 'Pilgrimage of Grace' rebellion. Sir Robert Ellerker successfully defended the castle, but had to repair damage caused by cannon-fire. The castle itself, much altered in C17, C18 and C19 remains.

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

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1344 Jan 27.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NU06152579

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; 5423

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N3389

• Web site links
  • http://www.chillingham-castle.com/
    http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/chillingham%20castle.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_north/75/chillinghamcastle.htm
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/chillingham/chillingham.php#castle
    http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N3389
• Books
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p101-4
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p34-5
    Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol1 (Cambridge) p65-7, 159
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p179
    Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlise) p45-6
    Rowland, T.H., 1987 [reprint1994], Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p6, 9, 29-32, 74
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p330
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) Vol2 p208
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p102-5
    Hedley, W. Percy, 1968-70, Northumberland Families Vol1 p102; Vol2 p245-6
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p82-3
    Pevsner, N., 1957, The Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin) p124-6
    Hugill, R.,1939, Borderland Castles and Peles [1970 Reprint by Frank Graham] p68-70
    Dodds, Madeleine Hope (ed), 1935, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol14 p323-46
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p372-3
    Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p9, 14, 23, 41-2, 297-301
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p413
• Journal Articles
  • Musson, J., 2004, 'Chillingham Castle, Northumberland' Country Life Vol198.17 p130-35
    14-6-1986, Newcastle Journal p7
    10-11-1981, Newcastle Journal
    St Joseph, J.K., 1950, 'Castles of Northumberalnd from the air' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol28 p15-16
    Hunter Blair, C.H., 1938-46, History of the Berwickshire Naturalists Club Vol3 p38-9
    Tipping, A., 1913, Country Life Vol33 p346-55
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • 1541 Survey of the East and Middle Marches [Click here]
    1509 Survey of Tevedale [Click here]
    1415 list of Northumberland Castles [Click here]
    Calendar of Patent Rolls (1343-45) p191
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/nhumbeng.html#nhumb24]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p343