Belsay, Old Castle c.1955
Photo ref:
B554001
More about this scene
Built of honey-coloured sandstone, the old castle is in fact a 14th-century L-plan tower house built by the de Middleton family. There are four corner turrets, each with rounded bartizans corbelled out, and the parapet has machicolations; this was an overhang that allowed defenders to drop missiles on the heads of uninvited guests. It is not known if Belsay ever had a curtain wall, or if there were other buildings associated with it. The manor house extension was added in 1614. In 1807 Sir Charles Monck abandoned the old castle for a new residence, Belsay Hall. Built in the Doric style, the Hall was considered an architectural novelty of the day.
An extract from Northumberland Tyne and Wear Photographic Memories.
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Northumberland Tyne and Wear Photographic Memories
The photo 'Belsay, Old Castle c1955' appears in this book.
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