Forecourt Walls And South Tower Of Witton Castle

The forecourt walls and south tower of Witton Castle date back to the medieval period, with 17th century and later alterations. They are constructed from sandstone rubble, featuring quoins and ashlar dressings, while the roof of the tower is not visible. The forecourt is square in shape, and the tower is attached to the inner face of the south wall. The high embattled walls have Tudor-arched vehicle entrances on the east and west sides, with the eastern entrance under a relieving arch. There is a low, chamfered, round-headed entrance on the south side, located to the west of the tower.

Parapet walks and steps lead up to corner turrets, except at the north-west where the wall connects to the main building of the castle. A short north wall from the right return of the main building features a Tudor-arched doorway. The square tower has two high stages, with the second stage set back. It includes massive off-centre and west buttresses on the north face, a low chamfered Tudor-arched surround to a boarded door on the west side, and a partly blocked round-headed entrance on the east. This entrance has a shaped tripartite sash inserted, and above it is a four-light stone-mullioned window with Gothic glazing bars. There is a relieving arch over this window and evidence of the original gable peak. The tower features clock faces on the north and south sides with painted Roman numerals, and embattled parapets. The roof of the tower has a wooden bee-cote topped with a horse-and-rider finial.

The exterior of the walls displays corbelled machicolations above the side arches, round corner turrets on the east wall, and a large square corner turret at the south-west. The south wall contains blocked eight-light mullioned and transomed windows, where old illustrations indicate a range of buildings once existed. There is a blocked monolith round hole to the left of the central south window and a sundial over the west arch. The walls also feature many stone parapet drains and round holes, which may have served as musket holes.