Crawley Tower With Cottage Inside

HEDGELEY CRAWLEY NU 01 NE 4/230 Crawley Tower, with cottage inside II*

Remains of towerhouse or tower solar. Early C14, with C18 cottage built inside when the ruins were altered to form an eyecatcher on the Shawdon Estate.

Massive squared stone; cottage rubble with Welsh slate roof. Rectangular plan, 15.2 x 11.2 metres externally; wall toothings indicate former structure to the north-east. L-plan cottage built against interior of south and west walls.

South elevation shows renewed door in C18 opening with small casement window in modified loop to left. lst-floor casement in blocked doorway opening of uncertain date, and 2 original windows at higher levels, each of 2 chamfered lancet lights, mullions now missing. Irregular stepped C18 parapet. West elevation shows remains of another early 2-light window above 2 later windows; C18 embattled parapet.

North elevation shows 2-storey pent-roofed cottage inside tower, with various casement and sash windows; above cottage roof, in south wall, is a segmental rear arch, with window seats, of upper 2-light window. Remaining parts of tower east and north walls have C18 crowstepped coping. Cottage has pent single-storey part on exterior of north tower wall, with adjacent outbuilding.

Interior of cottage not seen; tower walls 2.6 metres thick, except on north where there was probably a mural stair.

Licence to crenellate was granted in 1343, but the architectural features probably pre-date this. Substantial earth works to the north suggest that the tower formed part of a strongly-fortified complex.

Northumberland County History XIV 408-10.

Adjacent cottages are not of special interest.

Listing NGR: NU0689116514