Elsdon Tower

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Vicars Pele; Parsonage; Elsden; Elsdon Castle; Turris de Ellysden

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

Elsdon Tower dates back to C14 or C15 and stands in a strategic position at the entrance to the valley of the Elsdon Burn and commands the valley of the Whiskershiel Burn. The tower was probably built for the Rector of Elsdon and remained a rector's home until about 1960. The tower has been altered in the post-medieval period. It was originally four storeys high, but in C17 the upper three floors were converted into two and decorated in the style of that period. In the basement the original barrel vault survives although it has had windows cut into each end. The walls are extremely thick, with side walls measuring 2.7m thick at ground level and the end walls 1.8m thick. This is a large pele tower and Ryder suggests it may be a C16 rebuilding of ruined C14 tower house.

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

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY93609339

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; 19708

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N9742

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N9742
    http://www.sine.newcastle.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=103
    http://www.northumberland-national-park.org.uk/VisitorGuide/TimesPast/HistoricVillageAtlas/Elsdon/TheMedievalBuildingsofElsdonByPFRyder.htm
• Books
  • Ryder, Peter, 2004, 'Towers and bastles in Northumberland National Park' in Frodsham, P., Archaeology in Northumberland National Park (CBA Research report 136) p262-271
    Harrison, Peter, 2004, Castles of God (Woodbridge; Boydell Press) p67
    Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p327
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p50
    Ryder, P.F., 1996, 'Pussling Evidence at Elsdon' Archaeology in Northumberland 1995-1996 (Morpeth: Northumberland County Council p38-9
    Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol1 (Cambridge) p90-1
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p183
    Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlise) p60
    Pevsner, N., 1992 (revised by Grundy, John et al), The Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin) p268
    Rowland, T.H., 1987 [reprint1994], Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p10, 37-9
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p332
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p148-51
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p97-8
    Pevsner, N., 1957, The Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin) p146
    Hugill, R.,1939, Borderland Castles and Peles [1970 Reprint by Frank Graham] p97-100
    Tomlinson, W.W., 1897, Comprehensive Guide to Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p305-7
    Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p19
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1853, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol2 p201-2
    Hodgson, J.C., 1827, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) pt2 Vol1 p96-7
    Hodgson, J. and Laird, F., 1813, Beauties of England and Wales; Northumberland Vol12 p
    Taylor, G.N., The Story of Elsdon (Frank Graham: Newcastle-upon-Tyne)
• Journal Articles
  • Quiney, A., 1976. ‘Elsdon’ Archaeological Journal Vol133 p176-7
    Hunter Blair, 1947-9, History of the Berwickshire Naturalist Club Vol31 p41-2
    Stephens, 1911, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Vol15 p90-2
    1897-8, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Vol8 p76-7
    1857, Archaeologia Aeliana Vol2 pxi
    1829, Gentlemans Magazine Vol99 pt2 p18-20
• 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]
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Ryder, P.F., 1995. Elsdon Tower. Archaeological recording
    RCHME, 1995. Elsdon Tower, Elsdon, Northumberland. Historic building report
    Ryder, P.F., 1994. Elsdon Tower. An historical and structural analysis