Sewingshields Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Sewyngeshealles; Sewing Shields; Sewyngsheles

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

Site of Sewingshields Castle, which belonged to Sir Robert Ogle, who died in 1437. It was probably only a simple tower. There are no visible remains, though it appears to have been defended on the west side by a single ditch. Recorded in the 1541 survey as ”At Sewyngeshealles is an old towre of thinherytaunce of John Heron of Chypchase esquier in great decaye in the rooffe & flores & lyeth waste & unplenyshed.”

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

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY81177055

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; 16872

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N7838

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N7838
• Books
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p377-9
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p95
    Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlise) p107-8
    Rowland, T.H., 1987 [reprint1994], Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p46
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p353
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p313
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p154
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p420-1
    Tomlinson, W.W., 1897, Comprehensive Guide to Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p188-9
    Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p15, 47, 313
    Hodgson, J.C., 1828, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) pt3 Vol2 p386
    Hodgson, J. and Laird, F., 1813, Beauties of England and Wales; Northumberland Vol12 p129-30
• Journal Articles
  • Haigh, D. and Savage, M. 1984. 'Sewingshields' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser5] Vol12 p71, no.20
    1962, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol62 p256
    1891, The Monthly Chronicle; North Country Lore and Legend p567-8
• 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]
    1415 list of Northumberland Castles [Click here]