Chipchase Castle is a 17th-century Jacobean

Jacobean architecture

The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...

 mansion incorporating a substantial 14th-century pele tower which stands north of Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...

, near Wark on Tyne

Wark on Tyne

Wark on Tyne is a small village and civil parish usually called Wark in Northumberland, England about north of Hexham.The name is derived from the Viking word for Earthworks, and refers to the mound at the south of the village, where a meeting hall once stood...

, between Bellingham

Bellingham, Northumberland

Bellingham is a village in Northumberland, to the north-west of Newcastle upon Tyne and is situated on the Hareshaw burn at its confluence with the River North Tyne. Hareshaw Linn is a waterfall on the Hareshaw Burn near Bellingham. It is pronounced Bell-ing-jumFamous as a stopping point on the...

 and Hexham

Hexham

Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...

 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.

The Heron family acquired the Manor of Chipchase by the marriage of Walter Heron to the Chipchase heiress. He built a massive four storey battlemented tower house

Tower house

A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...

 on the site of an earlier house in the mid 1300's.

A survey in 1541 described a "fare tower" with a "manor of stone joined thereto" owned by John Heron.

In 1621, Cuthbert Heron (High Sheriff of Northumberland

High Sheriff of Northumberland

This is a list of the High Sheriffs of the English county of Northumberland.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post...

 in 1625) demolished the house and built a fine Jacobean mansion, leaving the tower standing and attached to the new house. His first son George was killed at the Battle of Marston Moor

Battle of Marston Moor

The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on 2 July 1644, during the First English Civil War of 1642–1646. The combined forces of the Scottish Covenanters under the Earl of Leven and the English Parliamentarians under Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester defeated the Royalists commanded by Prince...

 in 1644 in the service of Charles I

Charles I of England

Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...

. His second son Cuthbert was created a Baronet by Charles II

Charles II of England

Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...

, (See Heron Baronets

Heron Baronets

There have been two Baronetcies created for descendants of the ancient 12th century family of Heron of Ford Castle, Northumberland.The Heron Baronetcy, of Chipchase, was created on 20 November 1662 in the Baronetage of England by Charles II for Cuthbert Heron of Chipchase Castle, Northumberland in...

), but he experienced financial problems which eventually led to the sale of the estate by the Herons early in the 18th-century.

John Reed a Newcastle upon Tyne banker bought the estate in 1734 and carried out major alterations to the castle including a classical facade to the old tower. The failure of Reed's bank caused him to sell the estate to the Greys of Backworth in 1821 to defray debts.

The castle is privately owned. The grounds are open to the public but the Castle is open to the public only in June.
For more information visit the Chipchase Castle Estate website on www.chipchasecastle.com.