Fowberry Tower
Encyclopedia
Fowberry Tower is a Grade II* listed mansion house, situated on the banks of the River Till
, near Chatton
, Northumberland
.
The Manor of Fowberry was owned by the Fowberry family for over 400 years and their 16th century tower house incorporated the remains of an original pele tower
.
In the late 16th century Roger Fowberry mortgaged the estate to his neighbour William Strother of Kirknewton
and despite later legal attempts to dispute the debt, his son was obliged in 1591 to transfer the property to Lancelot Strother.
The Strothers built a new manor house on the site in about 1666. When William Strother died in 1708 without a male heir the estate passed to William Kerr who married Blake’s heiress daughter. In 1776 their son John Strother Kerr sold the estate and house to Sir Francis Blake
.
Blake remodelled and substantially enlarged the house including delightful Strawberry Hill Gothic interiors; some of the more important interiors following this style in the North of England. He included the Blake family crest - a martlet surmounting a cap of maintenance - on a frieze in 22c gold leaf in the dining room. A new frontage was designed by architect James Nesbitt. A feature of the new mansion was the creation of six false windows on the south elevation, which substantially improved the external appearance of the new Building but avoided the burden of window tax
.
The Blakes sold the estate in 1807 to Matthew Culley (b 1778) son of the noted expert agriculturalist George Culley (b 1735). The design for the front of the house was continued and completed by Matthew Culley who incorporated a dated medallion stone above the entrance - 1809. A later George Culley of Fowberry was High Sheriff of Northumberland
in 1867. The Culley family, later Leather Culley, remained at Fowberry until they sold the estate in 1920.
River Till
The River Till in Northumberland is the only tributary of the River Tweed which flows wholly in England. . The upper part of the Till, which rises on Comb Fell, is known as the River Breamish...
, near Chatton
Chatton
Chatton is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated approximately to the east of Wooler. The village has amenities which include a pub and village shop, and also has a number of historic artifacts, with cup and ring marks and a kettle stone.-External links:* *...
, 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...
.
The Manor of Fowberry was owned by the Fowberry family for over 400 years and their 16th century tower house incorporated the remains of an original pele tower
Peel tower
Peel towers are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger...
.
In the late 16th century Roger Fowberry mortgaged the estate to his neighbour William Strother of Kirknewton
Kirknewton, Northumberland
Kirknewton is a Northumbrian village to the north of the county of Northumberland, about from the town of Wooler and roughly the same distance to the Scottish Borders...
and despite later legal attempts to dispute the debt, his son was obliged in 1591 to transfer the property to Lancelot Strother.
The Strothers built a new manor house on the site in about 1666. When William Strother died in 1708 without a male heir the estate passed to William Kerr who married Blake’s heiress daughter. In 1776 their son John Strother Kerr sold the estate and house to Sir Francis Blake
Sir Francis Blake, 1st Baronet, of Twizell Castle
Sir Francis Blake was a Northumbrian landowner who was created 1st Baronet of Twizell in the Baronetage of Great Britain on 25 May 1774....
.
Blake remodelled and substantially enlarged the house including delightful Strawberry Hill Gothic interiors; some of the more important interiors following this style in the North of England. He included the Blake family crest - a martlet surmounting a cap of maintenance - on a frieze in 22c gold leaf in the dining room. A new frontage was designed by architect James Nesbitt. A feature of the new mansion was the creation of six false windows on the south elevation, which substantially improved the external appearance of the new Building but avoided the burden of window tax
Window tax
The window tax was a significant social, cultural, and architectural force in England, France and Scotland during the 18th and 19th centuries. Some houses from the period can be seen to have bricked-up window-spaces , as a result of the tax.-Details:The tax was introduced in England and Wales under...
.
The Blakes sold the estate in 1807 to Matthew Culley (b 1778) son of the noted expert agriculturalist George Culley (b 1735). The design for the front of the house was continued and completed by Matthew Culley who incorporated a dated medallion stone above the entrance - 1809. A later George Culley of Fowberry was 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 1867. The Culley family, later Leather Culley, remained at Fowberry until they sold the estate in 1920.