Corbridge Pele Tower Ordnance Survey Map Reference NY 988644

 

 

Corbridge Vicar’s Pele – September 2002

 

In the churchyard in the centre of the town lies a tower built in the 14th century as a residence for the vicar.  It is one of the best preserved vicar’s pele in the country.  It contains three storeys and measures 8.5m by 6.5m, with walls 1.4m thick at basement level.  The wall-walk is 9.5m above the road level on the south side, but rather less on the north side facing the church.  It was built using stone from the nearby Roman fort of Corstopitum, now known as Corbridge Roman Site.

 

 

Corbridge Vicar’s Pele – A Vintage Postcard by J. Valentine.

 

Parts of the parapet remain and the corners, which once carried machicolated bartisans, are corbelled.  A yett defended the doorway in the east wall, which gives entry to a vaulted basement with loopholes facing south and west.  A straight stairway built within the wall leads up from the entrance to a lobby with a sink in the south-east corner of the main living area.  This room has a fireplace with a chimney-breast corbelled out on the north side, and there are two trefoil-headed windows with seats in the embrasures.  There are two cupboards built into the west wall, and in the north-east corner, there is access to a latrine and to the foot of the stairway to the second floor.

 

 

Plans and Section of Corbridge Vicar’s Pele – Taken from “The Castles & Tower Houses of Northumberland” by Mike Salter

 

On the second floor there are loops in the west, north and south walls, but no fireplace, although there is a stone lectern in the north-west corner.  From here the battlements were reached via a ladder to an opening high in the east wall.  This would have been an inconvenient arrangement which suggests it were only used in emergencies.

In 1935-36, a Joseph L Murray was noted as living in the pele tower.

When I visited Corbridge in September 2002, it was a busy market town, and unlike the view in the vintage postcard, unfortunately had various motor vehicles parked around the pele tower, spoiling the view and making it difficult to take any decent photographs in the market place.

 

 

Corbridge Vicar’s Pele – September 2002

 

Another picture (showing the opposite side from the picture above) can be found at the following website:

http://dheading.webspace.fish.co.uk/BRWP/p.../Corbridge.html

 

Bibliography

 

John Kinross – Discovering Castles in England & Wales – Shire Publications Ltd., First Edition, 1973

T.H. Rowland MA. M.Ed. FSA(Scot). – Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles & Bastles of Northumberland – Sandhill Press Ltd., First Edition, 1987; Reprinted, 1994

Mike Salter – The Castles & Tower Houses of Northumberland – Folly Publications, First Edition, 1997

In your first image is a eve gable with a long set of narrow windows, I'm not sure but feel it is unique as I have never seen one like it.

Any idea whether it is a renovation or if it was part of the original fabric of the tower?

I find the use of the wrap around corner machicolated bartisans interesting as most are found in Scotland or described as Pepper Posts.

I suspect it is part of the renovation.

AJR

An old postcard of Corbridge Pele, recently added to my collection.

 

A steel engraving of Corbridge Pele, recently added to my collection, and published circa 1860.