Twizell Castle
Encyclopedia
Twizell Castle is a Grade II* listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument which stands on a bend of the River Till
at Tillmouth Park, Northumberland
, northern England
. Below it, the medieval Twizell bridge spans the river. It is located 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Berwick Upon Tweed
. The site is visible from a public footpath, which passes the castle from the road. The gardens of the castle contain the earthwork remains of the once lost medieval village of Twizell, whilst the massive ruin presents the remains of an 18th century castle which was never completed.
which once stood on the site was, in 1415, held by Sir John Heron. This was destroyed by the Scots
in 1496, and the estate was sold by the Herons circa 1520 to a member of the Selby family
. A survey in 1561 reported only the remnants of a tower house and a barmkin
. Of the medieval structure, blocked windows, a chamfer
ed doorway and the original north-east angle quoins
are all that remains visible now.
In 1685 Sir Francis Blake
(d. 1718) purchased the estate from the widow Selby for £1,944, plus an annuity of £100, and the Blake family lived on the estate until 1738 when they moved to nearby Tillmouth Hall.
From about 1770, Sir Francis Blake
(d. 1780) worked on the recreation of the castle as a Gothic Revival
mansion, designed by architect James Nesbit of Kelso to be five levels tall. Despite some forty years of work, the project was never completed. When in 1882, the Blake's built a new mansion at Tillmouth Park much of the incomplete Twizell Castle was demolished and the stone used in the new construction. The house is now a two-story folly
. Rectangular in plan, with circular towers on the angles and two wings on the north side, the basement rooms in the main block are stone and brick-vaulted as a precaution against fire.
The property is in poor order and is officially listed as of 2008 on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register.
River Till
The River Till in Northumberland is the only tributary of the River Tweed which flows wholly in England. . The upper part of the Till, which rises on Comb Fell, is known as the River Breamish...
at Tillmouth Park, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, northern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Below it, the medieval Twizell bridge spans the river. It is located 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Berwick Upon Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
. The site is visible from a public footpath, which passes the castle from the road. The gardens of the castle contain the earthwork remains of the once lost medieval village of Twizell, whilst the massive ruin presents the remains of an 18th century castle which was never completed.
The Castle
A medieval tower houseTower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
which once stood on the site was, in 1415, held by Sir John Heron. This was destroyed by the Scots
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
in 1496, and the estate was sold by the Herons circa 1520 to a member of the Selby family
Selby family
The Selby family was a prolific and widespread English family that originated in Selby, Yorkshire, but largely settled in Northumberland.The following are some of the more important branches of the family, several of which are interconnected by marriage between cousins:-Selby of...
. A survey in 1561 reported only the remnants of a tower house and a barmkin
Barmkin
Barmkin, also spelled barmekin or barnekin, is a Scots word which refers to a form of medieval and later defensive enclosure, typically found around smaller castles, tower houses, pele towers, and bastle houses in Scotland, and the north of England. It has been suggested that etymologically the...
. Of the medieval structure, blocked windows, a chamfer
Chamfer
A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees. A fillet is the rounding off of an interior corner. A rounding of an exterior corner is called a "round" or a "radius"."Chamfer" is a term commonly...
ed doorway and the original north-east angle quoins
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
are all that remains visible now.
In 1685 Sir Francis Blake
Sir Francis Blake, 1st Baronet, of Twizell Castle
Sir Francis Blake was a Northumbrian landowner who was created 1st Baronet of Twizell in the Baronetage of Great Britain on 25 May 1774....
(d. 1718) purchased the estate from the widow Selby for £1,944, plus an annuity of £100, and the Blake family lived on the estate until 1738 when they moved to nearby Tillmouth Hall.
From about 1770, Sir Francis Blake
Sir Francis Blake, 1st Baronet, of Twizell Castle
Sir Francis Blake was a Northumbrian landowner who was created 1st Baronet of Twizell in the Baronetage of Great Britain on 25 May 1774....
(d. 1780) worked on the recreation of the castle as a Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
mansion, designed by architect James Nesbit of Kelso to be five levels tall. Despite some forty years of work, the project was never completed. When in 1882, the Blake's built a new mansion at Tillmouth Park much of the incomplete Twizell Castle was demolished and the stone used in the new construction. The house is now a two-story folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
. Rectangular in plan, with circular towers on the angles and two wings on the north side, the basement rooms in the main block are stone and brick-vaulted as a precaution against fire.
The property is in poor order and is officially listed as of 2008 on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register.