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Cartington Castle |
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To the west of
Rothbury and two
miles north of Thropton lies the picturesque ruins of Cartington Castle.
Although it is in
private grounds it may be viewed from the surrounding fields
or road.. Permission may also be granted from
the nearby farm.
This 14th century castle
w The first recorded owner was Ralph Fitzmain who held it in 1154. In 1416 it was mentioned in the list of Border fortresses and in 1421 it was extended to included a great hall, and a tower-defended courtyard, when John Cartington was granted a licence to crenellate his home. In 1494 it passed by marriage to the Radcliffe family. It was later described in 1542 as: "a good fortress of two towres and other strong houses .... in good reparacon." In 1648 the castle, held for the King by the Royalists, Widdringtons, Selbys, Claverings and other local families, was besieged and after a little resistance was taken by parliamentary forces. A few years later the castle was dismantled and the stones used to build outhouses, walls and barns. Lord Armstrong in 1887 partially restored the castle in order to prevent its complete disintegration, and excavations by Mr. Hodges of Hexham provided details of its layout and construction. Dippie Dixon in his book, "Upper Coquetdale" provides a comprehensive description of the castle, its history and the artefacts found during these excavations. There is the usual
local tradition of a secret passage from the castle to the rocks of Old Rothbury
a few miles to the east and, in keeping with Margaret, Queen of Scots with her baby daughter Margaret stayed here on the night of 16th November 1515 on her journey from Harbottle Castle. The baby, Margaret, Lady Douglas, later married the Lord of Lennox and became mother of Lord Darnley and grandmother of James1st. Just to the west of the farm stands the "nunnery", an alms house founded by Dame Mary Charleton in 1697 for Roman Catholic Widows. This mission at Cartington was later merged with Thropton in 1745 to form the Roman Catholic Chapel of All Saints. Two plaques on the wall of All Saints, Thropton record this event. |
as
originally built as a pele tower and lies 
other tales of secret passages