This would seem, morphologically, to make it a ringwork rather than a motte. Despite much conjecture, little has been determined about the detailed chronology of these earthworks, and the mound is, today, quite severely impacted by development.
An archaeological watching brief carried out in 1992 when foundations were dug for an extension to Brae Bonny House, which lies against the mound, recovered one sherd of green-glazed pottery. The monitoring archaeologist concluded that the site had been levelled at some previous date and also established that an earlier extension of an adjacent house had required excavation deep into the mound, revealing 'several layers of stratigraphy'.
Hodgson conjectured that Castle Hill was the site of the medieval court for South Tynedale, as Wark-on-Tyne was for North Tynedale (1840, 119), but this does not appear to be supported by any documentary evidence, which is relatively plentiful for the role of Wark in this function. Indeed, in 1290, an inquiry into the death of a man in Haltwhistle resulting from a quarrel in the town was heard at Wark before the Bailiffs of Tynedale (Polson 1902, 74), presumably meaning that there was no court at Haltwhistle to carry out this function. (Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey)
Probable early Norman ringwork castle partially surviving as an earthwork."
Gatehouse: 2582
[NY 71126416] Camp. (1)
Castle Hill is a natural mound cut off to the north east by the Haltwhistle Burn glen. Its west end has been scarped and a breastwork 3-4ft high added, which continues on the north and east sides. The probable site of a motte and bailey. See illustration card. (2)(3)
Published survey (25 inch) revised. Modern development has destroyed much of this earthwork, but a substantial earthen bank remains on the east side. No trace of a motte survives, and it is doubtful if one existed, the remains being more likely those of a simple breastwork around the summit of the hill. See AO/56/363/8. (4)
Haltwhistle Burn. Castle Hill once used as a motte and bailey castle. Traces of scarping and an earthen mound or wall can be seen. (5)
Watching brief carried out when foundations for an extension to Brae Bonny house were dug in August 1992 (application 92/E/13). The site appeared to have been levelled in the past and only one sherd of green glazed pottery was found. Inspection of the adjacent house revealed that an extension had been erected some time in the past and that it had gone deep into the hill. Several layers of stratigraphy had been evident. (6)
Castle Hill. (7)
Name of Haltwhistle owes its origin to the oval shaped mound called Castle Hill, which was once fortified with earthworks. (8)
Castle Hill was at some remote period defended by a system of earthworks. The base of the hill was formerly swept on the south side by the South Tyne; but the river has altered its course and does not now approach within some distance of the mound. (9)
The feature described above was obscurred by trees on all air photographs available to the Hadrian's Wall NMP project, so no determination of the survival or function of the features could be made. (10a)
Keys to the Past: N6684



















































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