Castles of the Middle Marches: Within a short distance from Haltwhistle lie many of the ancient Castles of the Middle Marches. Dating from Roman times some of these castles have seen much bloodshed as English have fought English, Scottish fought Scottish and English fought Scottish. They have witnessed nearly 1700 years of acrimony, bitterness, and Civil War. Today few still stand as they would have in times gone by, but they all represent part of the rich tapestry of history that surrounds Haltwhistle.
Bellister Castle
Close to the South Tyne, this castle standing on a partly man-made mound, was owned by Robert de Ros and his descendants from 1191 to 1295. There is a very old Sycamore tree in front of the west side of the castle which is known as the `Hanging Tree'. In 1312 it was acquired by Gerrard Salveyn, but confiscated from him in about 1354. John de Blenkinsopp is reputed to have built its tower after he came into possession in about 1480. John Bacon bought the ruined tower c1715 after which it changed hands several times before coming into the possession of the National Trust in 1975 who let it to the present tenants. It is reputedly haunted by a "Grey Man", the ghost of a minstrel who, having been unjustly accused of being a spy, was cruelly killed by hounds as he fled the castle in fear of his life. The attached house dates from 1669 and was substantially remodelled by John Dobson, the famous Newcastle architect in 1841. Although this Castle can be viewed from a distance, it is a private residence 16 and may not be visited, whereas the adjoining woods, also owned by the National Trust, have delightful footpaths open to the public.
Blenkinsopp Castle
Stands above what was once a wild and marshy valley, before the area was drained to allow for the Haltwhistle to Carlisle road and rail links early in the 19th century. When the Norman conquerors were sharing out their land there were no takers for this part, so the sitting tenant called Blencan was allowed to keep it. A fire destroyed most of the building in 1953 but claims persist that it is haunted by a "White Lady" who is reputed to be trapped as a spirit which cannot be released until the treasure which she hid from her husband, (thought to have been booty from the Crusades), is recovered.
Featherstone Castle
Just over two miles to the South West is the picturesque Featherstone Castle. The oldest part of the castle still standing dates back to the 14th century which is a tower built by Thomas de Featherstonehaugh in the 1320s. The most recent additions date from the 19th century The Featherstonehaughs retained ownership of the castle until the 18th century. It is home to one of our more famous ghost stories concerning Abigail Featherstonehaugh who lived in the late 17th Century. The legend says she was to marry a neighbouring Baron's son, but was in love with a local Ridley As the bridal party rode the bounds of the estate, the spurned lover made an attack, but the new bridegroom put up a good fight. All were killed in the fray. At midnight the sound of horses' hooves were heard outside the castle, the door opened into the banqueting hall and the ghostly apparition of Abigail and the rest of the party entered. The Baron fainted at this spectral procession. It is claimed the ghostly wedding party can be seen each 17th January in Pynkin's Cleugh.
Thirlwall Castle
Built in 1330 by John Thirlwall, with stone taken from the adjacent Hadrian's Wall. King Edward I ("Hammer of the Scots") stayed the night on 20th September 1306 at Thirlwall, en route to Burgh-by-Sands in Cumbria, where he intended to launch another attack on the Scots. Ironically during the Civil War 1642-1645, the building was still in good enough condition to be commandeered for use as a supply depot by Scottish troops helping the Parliamentarians. Thirlwall was abandoned in the mid 17th century but the well of the castle is reputedly haunted by a black dwarf who guards a table made from gold. Recent works by Northumberland National Park have improved access to the site making it safe for visitors. It is known to be home to resident colonies of both bats and swifts together with the rock plants and lichens that have grown over it for hundreds of years.
Triemain Castle
Lies just a few miles west of Gilsland. This 14th century mediaeval castle, now just a ruin, was built to defend the Barony of Guilsland from attacks by the Liddesdale Armstrongs and Elliotts during the Border Reiving days. It was perhaps inspiration for a ballad by Sir Walter Scott called `The Bridal of Triermain,' and is said to be haunted.
Bewcastle Castle
Had a strong position being directly on the Maiden Way, the Romans' road via Carvoran
to the North Pennines, and bars one of the chief routes into England from Liddesdale,
Scotland. The mediaeval castle, now a ruin, had a huge keep built partly from Roman
stones from the Roman fort it stands on. It was one of the more remote forts and
was unusual in that it had six sides. It is believed to have been the centre of the
Romano-British cult to the deity, Cocidus, three of whose altars were found at Bewcastle.
Bewcastle
Castle, Church and Saxon Cross gallery
Sewingshields Castle and King Arthur
On the north side of the ridge of the Whin Sill, on which sits Hadrian's Wall, there is an area of marshland called Fogy Moss, which in the Middle Ages housed the castle of Sewingshields. All that remains today is an island of firm ground which rises from the marsh. An Arthurian legend is associated with the castle and indeed there are many Arthurian associations in the Wall country. Some worth mentioning are, King and Queen's Crags, King Arthur's Well (at Walltown) and King Arthur's Chair on nearby Sewingshields Crags.
Broomlee Lough
This lake lies a little to the east of Greenlee Lough amid some remote countryside. Legend has it that sunken but enchanted treasure from Sewingshields Castle lies hidden on the lake floor protected by a spell preventing it being found until "Twa twin yauds, twa twin oxen, twa twin lads and a chain forged by a smith of kind." This refers to twin horses, twin oxen, twin boys and finally a "smith of kind" being a seventh generation blacksmith. Any applicants
Stone Circles
The Mare and Foal' refers to the two standing stones which remain of a stone circle roughly 3,500 years old visible from the Military Road, to the North. The original circle is thought to have been 5m in diameter. While only two stones now survive, a third was shown in the Armstrong map of 1769. The newly discovered stone circle at Gibb's Hill just north of Hadrian's Wall, and the stone circle to the North East of the Caw Burn but South of Greenlee Lough, indicate a spread of Bronze Age occupation - an area of archaeological research still to be explored.
Roman Water Mill and Aqueduct
In 1907 a 3rd century Roman water-mill was excavated at Haltwhistle Burnhead near Cawfields by E Gerald Simpson. The site is now covered, but the fact that a 3rd century watermill had been built at Haltwhistle Burnhead is now considered to be of outstanding importance. Nearby, a Roman aqueduct nearly six miles in length ran from the Saughy Rigg to Aesica (Great Chesters) fort with a gradient fall of thirty feet distributed evenly along its whole length. Sadly, there is little to see today, but you will find the course is marked on Ordnance Survey Explorer map 43 "Hadrian's Wall - Haltwhistle and Hexham". Today we can only marvel at the ingenuity employed by the Romans to bring fresh water to the forts, many of which were built on high ground, and most of which were able to house up to 1,000 men
Castles, Myths and Legends