Hulne Friary Summerhouse And Tower

The site includes a tower and a summerhouse within the grounds of Hulne Park, originally part of Hulne Friary. The tower was built in 1488 by Sir Henry Percy. The summerhouse, and the interior of the tower, were remodelled between 1778 and 1779 by Robert Adam and "Capability" Brown for the 1st Duke of Northumberland. Both structures are built of squared stone with flat leaded roofs.

The summerhouse is rectangular and two storeys high, situated north of the friary’s west range and linked to the tower by a bridge. It is built in a Gothick style and has a symmetrical west elevation with three bays. The central bay features an arched door flanked by windows, all under linked ogee hoodmoulds with finials. Above is a broad four-light window with intersecting tracery. The end bays have two-light windows under square hoodmoulds, with quatrefoils containing marble reliefs of the Duke and Duchess. A corbelled-out parapet has irregular crenellations. The left return has two bays with similar two-light windows, and a central niche with a cusped canopy. The right return has three bays and similar fenestration, except for a plainer central niche. The rear elevation has a half-glazed door on the right, flanked by small windows and a large window above; a second door is on the left, beneath the bridge to the tower. All doorways have applied Gothick panelling, and all windows are small-paned sashes with curved bases to the upper leaf and intersecting glazing bars in the head. The bridge to the tower has a flat-pointed arch flanked by blank shields, with a pointed window above between cruciform loops and an embattled parapet.

The tower is originally two tall storeys. A pointed doorway is on the north side; chamfered loops are present, and large Gothick sashes are on the south and west at first-floor level. A corbelled-out embattled parapet has angle turrets, with those on the east linked to form a chamber containing the original canted oriel, which has cinquefoil-headed lights and a moulded parapet.

Internally, both ground and first-floor rooms in the summerhouse have Gothick decoration, featuring carved fireplaces, crocketed ogee doorcases, niches and cornices, and a dogleg stair with stick balusters. The high first-floor tower room has similar decoration, including a fireplace with contemporary ironwork, a wooden dado rail, and a cornice with Percy crescents. An inscribed slab is set into the wall above the fireplace: "In the year of Crist Jhu MGCCC III VIII This towr was bilded by Sir He Percy The fourth Erle of Nortwberlad of gret hon and worth That espoused Maud ye good lady full of vertue and bewt Daughtr to Sir William Harbirt right noble and hardy Erle of Pembrock whose soulis god save And with his grace cosarve ye bilder of this towr." The tower retains an original barrel-vaulted basement and mural stairs with shouldered lintels.