Eshott Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Eshot; Escott; castrum de Eshete; Essetete

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

Eshott Castle was first recorded in 1415, though there was a fortified manor house was licensed in 1310. The ruins of the castle lie on low lying ground near the junction of two streams. The remains of the moats can be seen surrounding the remains of a wall and possibly three stone towers. No trace remains of any other buildings. The original licence to crenellate was given in 1310 to Sir Roger Mauduit, but in 1358 it was taken from him because he was a rebel against the crown, and handed over to his son.

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry footings remains.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1310 July 22.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NZ19999861

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; 23389

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N11344

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N11344
• Books
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing)
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p51
    Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlise) p62
    Rowland, T.H., 1987 [reprint1994], Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p62
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p152
    Hedley, W. Percy, 1968-70, Northumberland Families Vol2 p30-1
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p99
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Hodgson, John Crawford (ed), 1904, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol7 p334, 337, 342 [history only]
    Tomlinson, W.W., 1897, Comprehensive Guide to Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p99
    Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p14
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p406
• Journal Articles
  • 1961, Publications of the Surtees Society Vol176 p136,155-6
    Hadcock, R.N., 1939, 'Map of Mediaeval Northum and Durham' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol16 p168
• 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]
    Calendar of Patent Rolls (1307-13) p272