Castle UK Blog August 2013 - A Monthly Page for Updates and News on Castles in England Scotland and Wales

CastleUK Blog 2013

Castle UK Blog Page August 2013 This is the place where I record and then archive my monthly updates and what's new in our hunt for castles UK.

In August after our 4 day castle and place to live hunt in Northumberland, we start getting ready to retire up north, our minds are made up on that. First up, we clear the kitchen and pack 4 boxes of things we don't want to put back into the new one. We couldn't sell the house with the one we had and the doors and draws on this new one close on their own, once you have given them a start, it's magic, it all looks very nice. They find a leak on the pipe to the outside tap and rework all the pipes for the sink, taps and washer, putting it all under the sink, where it's easy to get to, so no more pulling the washer out to get to things, it should have been done years ago!

For more information, click on the pictures.

Prior Castells Tower OS 75/NU 219-360 Inner Farne Northumberland England, is the wallpaper for September and this picture was taken in July 2013. The island was an early Medieval hermitage, which was the site of St Cuthbert's death in 687. It became an anchoritic cell with Bishop Aidan retiring there in 651, St Cuthbert spent his last years there and the island was used by the anchorites until Thomas de Melsonby died in 1246. It then became a Benedictine cell until the House of Farne was dissolved in 1536 and granted to the Dean and Chapter of Durham.

Snabdaugh, OS 80/NY 787-847 Northumberland England.
Is a rectangular late 15th or early 16th century defensible stone house, founded by the Heron family. Of two storeys and an attic, it forms the central section of a farmhouse, with the other attached ranges being 18th and early 19th century. An unusual feature is a pointed tunnel vault to the upper floor and the fine ashlar springing of a lower vault. The site is visible from the road.
Snabdaugh is on the road from Bellingham to Dally and Tarset castles, this type of domestic strong house is possibly derived from Scotland and if so, is unique in England, you've just got to stop.

Dally Castle, OS 80/NY 775-844 Northumberland England.
Was a rectangular, early 13th century stone first floor hall house, probably founded in his manor of Chirdon by David Linsey. Standing on a ridge within a curve of the Chirden Burn, the two storey 'house with remarkably thick walls in the form of a tower', is defended to the north-west by a substantial ditch. In the centre of each gable wall is a fishtail arrow slit and along the other walls are three more regularly spaced slits. The site is managed by the Northumberland National Park and is freely accessible in daylight hours.
Fascinating site, great earthworks and just enough stone to work out what the good information board is telling you. Castles like this are on the very top of our hunting list.