2010
NT9508 : Biddlestone Hall chapel, tower house and air raid shelter
taken 14 years ago, near to Biddlestone, Northumberland, England
Biddlestone Hall chapel, tower house and air raid shelter
This building began its life as a medieval tower house and is first mentioned in a survey of 1415. It belonged to the Selby family and was part of a more extensive fortified manor house. By the 17th century the tower had been incorporated into a larger manor house which itself became part of a large Georgian house in about 1800. In the 19th century a Roman Catholic Chapel was created within the upper floors of the tower and in World War II part of the basement was converted into an air raid shelter and an Anderson-type shelter built inside. The tower is built of stone and much medieval masonry is visible on the north and west sides right up to the eaves. Inside, the basement has a characteristic barrel vault and several other medieval features are visible including a doorway. The plan of the tower is unusual because it is elongated and the main entrance lies in a gable end, a feature more often seen in later bastle houses. This is a Scheduled Monument and a Grade II* Listed Building protected by law.
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Not certain why they needed an air raid shelter in Biddlestone.
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