Denton Hall

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Denton Tower; Turris de Denton juxta Hawtwisill

In the civil parish of Nether Denton.
In the historic county of Cumberland (Modern Authority of Cumbria, 1974 county of Cumbria).

Originally a C14 towerhouse with a hall, the latter is now just visible as large footing stones. The tower has adjoining barn/stables of 1829 and is now part of a farmhouse. Tower has walls over 2m thick. Original tower still stands 3 storeys high, walls partly reduced in height when gabled roof added; walls now partly internal but part of rear wall and side wall of the extended house are the tower walls. Interior of tower is in an unaltered condition and has many features not visible from the outside and now covered by later buildings. Ground floor is not vaulted; splayed window in north wall has been enlarged. Newel staircase has ground floor entrance in south angle of east wall. First floor room has filled 2-light mullioned window in south wall with shouldered rear arch, splayed and with 2 step window seat; flanking narrow entrances have shouldered arches, that to left leads to stair and right is garderobe with small square filled window. Similar splayed window in west wall has also been filled; enlarged splayed window in north wall. Filled fireplace in east wall, retains its hearth stone. Corbel stones for original ceiling are still in place, with later ceiling on a similar level, supported on beams sunk into wall. Second floor is now in roof space; stair continues up for 4-5 steps and stops. Earthwork remains of a Medieval moat and fishponds. Jackson writes that these earthworks have previously been suggested as motte and bailey. Tower mentioned in 1415 list of towers in Northumberland; this Denton was part of Northumberland during the middle ages but moved into Cumberland at some uncertain date.

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 78069)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY57816305

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; 12668

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 273

• Books

• Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern) p48
  Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (CWAAS)
  Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p48 [slight]
  Jackson, M.J.,1990, Castles of Cumbria (Carel Press) p98
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p85
  Hugill, Robert, 1977, Castles and Peles of Cumberland and Westmorland (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p82-3
  Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1967, Buildings of England: Cumberland and Westmorland (Harmondsworth) p121
  Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal) p22, 28, 276-7
  Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p18
• Journal Articles

• Ferguson, 1881-2, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol6 p194
• 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]