- Widdrington Castle
Widdrington Castle (gbmapping|NZ25579576) is a
Scheduled Ancient Monument and the site of a former medievaltower house and castle at Widdrington,Northumberland of which only earthworks now remain.The property was owned by the Widdrington family from the 12th century. In 1341 Gerard Widdrington was granted a licence to
crenellate the house, which was later rebuilt in the early 17th century as a manor house.William Widdrington married the heiress of
Blankney Hall ,Lincolnshire in 1643 and the castle ceased to be the main family residence.The estates of a later William Widdrington were sequestrated, and sold by the Crown, as a result of his attainder for treason for his part in the
Jacobite uprising of 1715. The castle was reported to be in a ruinous condition in 1720.New owners began a rebuild in 1772 but the structure was destroyed by fire. A second attempt at reconstruction was more successful but the new Gothic style castle was demolished in 1862
References
* [http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/English%20sites/3727.html Widdrington Castle]
* [http://www.durham.gov.uk/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N11883 Keys to the Past]
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