Featherstone Castle

Featherstone Castle
Northumberland
Featherstone Castle, 2005
Location
Grid reference:	NY674610
Location:	54°56’35"N, 2°30’36"W
Village:	Featherstone
History
	Country house
Information

Featherstone Castle, a large Gothic style country mansion situated on the bank of the River South Tyne at Featherstone in Northumberland, about three miles south of Haltwhistle.

Mediæval origins

In the 11th century the manor house on this site belonged to the Featherstonehaugh family. It has played an important role in the battles between the English and the Scots in the Middle Ages. Originally a 13th-century hall house, a square three-storey pele tower was added in 1330 by Thomas de Featherstonehaugh. A survey from the year 1541 reported the property to be a tower in good repair, occupied by Thomas Featherstonehaugh.

Modern period

After the Civil War the Featherstones, having supported the King, were dispossessed by the victorious parliamentarian rebels. The property was acquired by Sir William Howard (father of the 1st Earl of Carlisle) and was remodelled and substantially enlarged.

Featherstone Castle by William Miller

The house was repurchased from the Earl of Carlisle in 1711 by Matthew Featherstonehaugh (1662–1762). A survey of 1715 disclosed 'an ancient and well-built structure'. The family remained in occupation until Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh sold the property to James Wallace about 1789. His son Thomas Wallace carried out further alterations between 1812 and 1830. Lord Wallace bequeathed the estate to his nephew, Colonel James Hope (1807–1854), (son of the Earl of Hopetoun), who changed his name to Hope-Wallace.

The various alterations to the structure have resulted in a large castellated and complex country house, rectangular in form with a central courtyard and towers at each angle.

Modern use

The property was sold in 1950 and became a boys' preparatory school, known as Hillbrow School, named after the house where it had originally been established near Rugby School in the Midlands. Hillbrow by then was settled at Overslade House, which had been damaged by a landmine in 1940. In 1961 the school moved to new premises at Ridley Hall, Northumberland, and Featherstone Castle was converted to a residential conference and activity centre for young people and students.

See alos

• Featherstone

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Featherstone Castle)

• Photographs
• Featherstone Legend

References

• National Heritage List 1370307: Featherstone Castle
• The Gatehouse Gazetteer Featherstone Castle
• Plantagenet Somerset Fry, The David & Charles Book of Castles, David & Charles, 1980. ISBN 0-7153-7976-3
• A History of Northumberland (1840) John Hodgson Pt2 Vol3 pp353–8
• Stephen Johnson (2004) Hadrian's Wall, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc, 128 pages, ISBN 0-7134-8840-9
• Structures of the North East
• Images of Featherstone Castle on NorthOfTheTyne