Belsay Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Belsay Castle |
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| Type | Pele tower |
| Location | Belsay |
| OS grid reference | NZ 08475 78554 |
| Area | Northumberland |
| Built | c. 1370 |
| Architectural style(s) | Medieval |
| Owner | English Heritage |
| Official name: Belsay tower house and attached unfortified wing, deserted medieval village, possible moated site, promontory fort and watch post | |
| Designated | 17 Jan 1935 |
| Reference no. | 1015517 |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Belsay Castle | |
| Designated | 27 Aug 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1042837 |
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Belsay Castle is a cool old castle from the 1300s. You can find it in a place called Belsay in Northumberland, England. It's a really important historical spot and is protected as a special building.
Contents
What is Belsay Castle?
The main part of Belsay Castle is a big, strong building called a pele tower. A pele tower was a type of fortified house, built to protect families from attacks. This one has three floors, round towers at the corners, and battlements on top, which are the parts that look like teeth on a castle wall.
The castle was built around the year 1370. For a very long time, it was the home of the Middleton family.
A Look at Its History
Over the years, the castle changed quite a bit. In 1614, a man named Thomas Middleton built a new house right next to the old tower. Later, in 1711, another part, called a west wing, was added.
However, in 1872, Sir Arthur Middleton took down most of that west wing. He also made many other changes to the rest of the house.
Life After the Family
The Middleton family stopped living in the castle in the early 1800s. This happened because Sir Charles Monck, who was part of the family, built a brand new home called Belsay Hall very close by.
After the family moved out, most of the inside parts of the castle were removed. It then became like a decorative ruin, often called a "folly." Back then, it was quite popular for rich families to have these kinds of decorative buildings on their land. Belsay Castle was used for fun events like garden parties and other get-togethers.
Visiting Belsay Castle Today
Today, Belsay Castle is looked after by English Heritage, which is an organization that cares for historic places in England. The good news is that the castle is open to the public, so you can visit and explore this amazing piece of history!
See also
