Bolton Hospital

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr

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

Earthwork remains of a medieval leper hospital at Bolton, largely overlain by later medieval ridge and furrow. Founded as a leper hospital in 1225. Successive raids by the Scots forced the prior to apply for a licence to crenellate in 1336, after which time no lepers are recorded. (Coulson states "honour not danger is the probable explanation" for the licence obtained by a clerk with direct contact with the king.) Dissolved in 1547. Dependent upon Kirkham. Became strong tower with barmekyn. Chapel of Hospital survives.

This site has been described as a;
Pele Tower
Fortified Ecclesiastical site.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1336 June 3.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NU106137

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

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N4466

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N4466
• Books
  • Brooke, C.J., 2000, Safe Sanctuaries (Edinburgh; John Donald) p106
    Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing)
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p114 [slight]
    Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlise) p34
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p346
    Knowles, David and Hadcock, R Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longman) p315, 344
    Hodgson, John Crawford (ed), 1904, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol7 p202-17, 227n
• Journal Articles
  • Coulson, C., 1982, 'Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation: An Essay in the Sociology and Metaphysics of Medieval Fortification' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p69-100
    Miller, E., 1951. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle [ser5] Vol1 p78-9
    Stephens, Rev T., 1885, History of the Berwickshire Naturalists Club Vol11 pt1 p130
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1334-38) p279