Little Harle Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little Harle Tower |
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| General information | |
| Location | Northumberland, England, UK |
| Coordinates | 55°09′18″N 2°00′32″W / 55.155°N 2.009°W |
| Designations | |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Little Harle Tower | |
| Designated: | 5 September 1985 |
| Reference #: | 1370497 |
Little Harle Tower is a very old and special country house in Northumberland, England. It's a private home that started out as a strong tower way back in the 1400s! Today, it's recognized as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's an important historical site that needs to be protected. You can find it in a small place called Little Harle, near Kirkwhelpington.
Contents
A Look Back in Time: The History of Little Harle Tower
Early Days as a Pele Tower
Little Harle Tower was likely built in the late 1400s. Back then, it was probably a pele tower. These were small, strong towers built in northern England and Scotland. People used them to protect themselves and their belongings from raids and attacks. The first official record of the tower was in a survey from 1541.
Changing Owners Through the Centuries
For a while, until 1552, the Fenwick family owned the tower. After them, it passed to the Aynsleys. In the early 1800s, a person named Lord Charles Murray-Aynsley and his wife Alicia lived there.
Around 1848, a man named Thomas Anderson bought the property. He was an important person in the area, serving as a Deputy Lieutenant and a Justice of the Peace. He was also the High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1843–4. His family still lives at Little Harle Tower today! For a few years, parts of the house were lived in by other families, but by 2013, the Andersons were living in the whole house again.
What Does It Look Like? The Architecture of Little Harle Tower
Old and New Styles
The house has a three-story tower that is very old, dating back to medieval times. The main part of the house, which has two stories and five sections, was built in the early 1700s.
Later, around 1862, some big changes were made to the house. These additions were in the Gothic Revival style. This style brought back ideas from medieval Gothic buildings, like pointed arches and fancy decorations. However, many of these 19th-century additions were changed or removed when the house was remodeled in 1980.
Other Important Buildings
The old stable block, which was built in the 1800s, is also a special building. It's listed separately as a Grade II building. This means it's also historically important, though not as highly ranked as the main tower.
