Ford Castle Flagpole Tower and Forecourt Wall Attached to North is a Grade I listed building in the Northumberland local planning authority area, England. First listed on 10 March 1988. A C14 Tower. 1 related planning application.

Ford Castle Flagpole Tower and Forecourt Wall Attached to North

WRENN ID
pale-floor-vetch
Grade
I
Local Planning Authority
Northumberland
Constituency
North Northumberland MP: David Smith (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
10 March 1988
Type
Tower
Address
Ford Castle Flagpole Tower and Forecourt Wall Attached to North, TD15 2QA
OS grid reference
NT 944 374
Coordinates
55.63097, -2.09029
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: related consents · flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

Ford Castle Flagpole Tower and the forecourt wall attached to the north are significant historical structures. The tower was originally the south-west corner tower of the quadrilateral castle but is now detached. It connects to the present house, Ford Castle, by a forecourt wall approximately 30 yards long. The tower dates back to the 14th century, with a license to crenellate granted in 1338. The lower sections of the forecourt wall consist of curtain walling from the castle, while the parapet was added in 1791 by Nisbet. The tower underwent restoration, and its top floor was renewed in 1862. It is constructed of squared stone and features a Welsh slate roof.

The square tower has five storeys plus a basement. The east side includes two 18th-century doors with four-centred arches and hoodmoulds, along with a blocked lancet window on the first floor. Above the first floor, there is a chamfered offset. On the second floor, a blocked 18th-century window and a 19th-century two-light mullioned window can be found. The north side features 19th-century stone steps leading to a possibly original first-floor doorway with a pointed arch and continuous chamfer. A platform at the top of the steps is supported by two large triple-set corbels. The tower also has 19th-century two-light windows and stone water spouts.

Inside, the basement is notable for its pointed tunnel vault, which is supported by five square-section transverse ribs.

Local climate

Ford Castle Flagpole Tower and Forecourt Wall Attached to North receives an average of 840 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 57% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 82% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 32 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 59% of listed buildings. Of these, 20 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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  • No EPC on record for this property
  • No sale records on file
  • Related listed building consents — 1 application
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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