Bothal Castle
Encyclopedia
Bothal Castle stands by the River Wansbeck
in the village of Bothal
, between Morpeth
and Ashington
in Northumberland
, England
. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building.
It is possibly the site of a Norman
castle.
In the 14th century a manor house
was built on the site and a licence to crenellate was granted to Sir Robert Bertram in 1343. The gate tower and fragments of curtain wall
are medieval
, a good deal of which survive. The estate passed to the Ogle family
by marriage in the 14th century and in 1597 similarly passed to the Cavendish-Bentinck
family (Dukes of Portland
) whose descendants still own it.
The rest of the castle was built within the last sixty years. The castle is now in an excellent state of repair and is used as a private residence and is not accessible for the public.
River Wansbeck
The River Wansbeck runs through the county of Northumberland, England. It rises above Sweethope Lough on the edge of Forelaws Forest in the area known locally as The Wanneys ; runs through the town of Ashington before discharging into the North Sea at Sandy Bay near Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.The River...
in the village of Bothal
Bothal
Bothal is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated between Morpeth and Ashington. There is a castle, a church, a vicarage opposite the church gates, some stepping stones over the River Wansbeck, a few houses and that's about it really. A nice quiet place.Bothal was the headquarters...
, between Morpeth
Morpeth, Northumberland
Morpeth is the county town of Northumberland, England. It is situated on the River Wansbeck which flows east through the town. The town is from the A1, which bypasses it. Since 1981, it has been the administrative centre of the County of Northumberland. In the 2001 census the town had a population...
and Ashington
Ashington
Ashington is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England with a population of around 27,000 people; it was once a centre of the coal mining industry. The town is located some north of Newcastle upon Tyne off the A189. The south of the town is bordered by the River Wansbeck...
in 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...
, 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...
. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building.
It is possibly the site of a Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
castle.
In the 14th century a manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
was built on the site and a licence to crenellate was granted to Sir Robert Bertram in 1343. The gate tower and fragments of curtain wall
Curtain wall (fortification)
A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two bastions of a castle or fortress.In earlier designs of castle the curtain walls were often built to a considerable height and were fronted by a ditch or moat to make assault difficult....
are medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, a good deal of which survive. The estate passed to the Ogle family
Baron Ogle
The Ogles were a prominent Northumbrian family from before the time of the Norman Conquest. They settled at Ogle, Northumberland and in 1341 were granted a licence to fortify their manor house which became known as Ogle Castle. The family included seven Medieval Barons...
by marriage in the 14th century and in 1597 similarly passed to the Cavendish-Bentinck
Bentinck
thumb|[[Welbeck Abbey]] thumb|Schoonheten House thumb|[[Bothal Castle]]The Bentinck family is a prominent family belonging to both Dutch and British nobility. Its members have served in the armed forces and as ambassadors and politicians, including Governor General of India and Prime Minister of...
family (Dukes of Portland
Earl of Portland
Earl of Portland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England, first in 1633 and again in 1689.-First creation :The title of Earl of Portland was first created for the politician Richard Weston, 1st Baron Weston, in 1633...
) whose descendants still own it.
The rest of the castle was built within the last sixty years. The castle is now in an excellent state of repair and is used as a private residence and is not accessible for the public.