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Tower House

Generalities and Cut-Away Drawing of Tower-Houses by Pete Armstrong. The terms “Tower-House” and “Pele Tower” are the cause of some confusion. Though the terminology differs, the function of these buildings is similar and their form…

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Pele Tower

Generalities, description and cut-away drawing of a Pele, Peel or Pele-Tower by Pete Armstrong Pele is derived from “pel” an Old French word for a stake. In early times many fortifications were constructed from wooden…

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Hole Bastle, Bellingham, Northumberland

Hole Bastle, Bellingham, Northumberland Hole Bastle stands between Woodburn and Bellingham and is a most interesting example of a fortified farmhouse of a type once common on the Border. In times past the ground floor…

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Harbottle Castle, Coquetdale, Northumberland

Harbottle Castle, Coquetdale, Northumberland Harbottle Castle, at the western end of a line of strongholds in Coquetdale, was in a position of importance in the defence of the Border. The castle is sited about eight…

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Great Tosson Tower, Coquetdale, Northumberland

Great Tosson Tower, Coquetdale, Northumberland Great Tosson Tower stands close under the Simonside Hills in Coquetdale a mile or so above Rothbury. The tower was one of a series of fortifications guarding Coquetdale where its…

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Ford Castle, Ford, Northumberland

Ford Castle, Ford, Northumberland Ford Castle stands about six miles below the Border in the valley of the river Till, a tributary of the Tweed. William Heron was given a licence to crenellate or fortify…

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Etal Castle, Etal, Northumberland

Etal Castle, Etal, Northumberland Etal Castle stands about four miles below the Border on the river Till, a tributary of the Tweed. The castle is deserted and ruinous as it has been since James IV…

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Elsdon Tower or Pele, Elsdon, Northumberland

Elsdon Tower or Pele, Elsdon, Northumberland Three miles east of Otterburn, the old grey pele-tower at Elsdon stands on the high bank of the Elsdon Burn and dominates the dwellings that fringe the village green.…

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Vicar’s Pele, Corbridge, Northumberland

The Vicar's Pele at Corbridge, Northumberland The Vicar's Pele stands well preserved, repaired and re-roofed within the churchyard in Corbridge. It was first built in the early 14th century and we know that in 1415…

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Fourmerkland Tower

Cut-Away Drawing by Pete Armstrong of Fourmerkland Tower, Dumfriesshire Cut-away drawing showing the interior layout. The tower has three storeys over a typical stone vaulted basement kitchen. A newel stair winds its way upwards to…

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