Dally Castle facts for kids
Dally Castle is an old stone castle from the 1200s in Northumberland, England. It's what's called a motte-and-bailey fortress, which means it had a raised mound (motte) and a walled courtyard (bailey). It was also one of the first "hall houses" in Northumberland.
The castle is about 5 miles (8 km) west of Bellingham. It sits near the Chirdon Burn, which flows into the North Tyne. Next to the castle, you can see Dally Castle House, built in the 1700s. Across the road, there's a small flour mill that was used to grind wheat during the Napoleonic Wars.
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History of Dally Castle
Dally Castle was likely built around the year 1237. On old maps, it was sometimes called Dala or Delaley. Not much is known about its early history. It started as a long, rectangular building with two floors. Later, two towers were added to the north corners, and a south wing was built.
Over time, the stones from the castle were used to build other structures, like Dally Mill. Today, you can mostly only see the foundations of the castle.
The Legend of Dally Castle
Dally Castle has a sad story connected to it. The owner's sister fell in love with Gilbert of Tarset, who was her brother's enemy. One day, her brother found them meeting. He chased Gilbert all the way to Hareshaw Common. A fight happened, and Gilbert was killed. The place where he fell is still known today as Gib's Cross.
Changes Over Time
The castle was first a simple building. It had narrow openings called loopholes on the ground floor for archers to shoot through. People likely entered the upper floor using an outside wooden staircase.
Later in the 1200s, the castle was finished. Towers were added, and its defenses moved to the roof level with crenellated parapets (like battlements). This meant the loopholes on the ground floor were no longer needed for defense. Some were even blocked up, except for one that was made bigger to let light into a room with a fireplace.
The castle was lived in until at least the 1500s. Things like a helmet, a sword tip, and old tobacco pipes were found there in 1888. However, it was already a ruin by the time a famous writer named Camden visited it in the early 1600s. By the 1700s, its roofless walls had fallen down. Many stones were taken to help build Dally Mill.
Discoveries at Dally Castle
In 1888, a man named Mr. W. L. Charleton cleared away some of the fallen stones. He found parts of the castle's remains. Sadly, not much was recorded about what he found. An interesting old chimney top, which is very rare, was also discovered and removed by Mr. Charleton.
What Dally Castle Looked Like
The castle stood on a narrow, high ridge. This ridge was cut through in places to create ditches, making it harder for enemies to reach. Dally Castle was built along the top of this ridge.
The main part of the castle was a large rectangular building, about 56 feet (17.2 meters) long and 26 feet (8.1 meters) wide inside. It had towers attached to its two northern corners and a larger section or wing on the south side. The walls of the main building were very thick, about 5 to 6 feet (1.7 to 1.8 meters) wide.
These walls had narrow openings called loopholes, which were used by archers. These loopholes were later carefully filled in with stones. One loophole was made into a small cupboard, and another became a window.
Castle Features
The west end of the castle looked similar to parts of Haughton Castle. It had a tower at its north corner. At the south corner, there was a narrow door that led to what might have been a staircase inside the wall or a small tower. Next to this door was a fireplace.
The north side of the building had two wide supports called buttresses, which were added later. The walls of the north turret were thinner and rougher than other parts. Most of the castle's inside walls were covered with a thin layer of plaster.
The ground floor of the castle had central pillars. These pillars held up a long beam, which supported the wooden floor joists of the first floor. On the upper floor, there was a line of columns that likely supported the roof. At the west end of the first floor, there was another fireplace.
The Bridge and Ownership
There was a shallow crossing point, or ford, at Dally. A narrow pack-horse or foot bridge made of timber on stone supports was built across the water. This bridge was probably used when Dally Castle or Dally Mill were active.
Dally Castle was bought from the Earl of Suffolk in 1664 by William Charlton. Later, in 1841, the rest of the estate went to Sir Edward Haggerston.
