Tyne and Wear HER(12): Hylton Castle - Details
12
Sunderland
Hylton Castle
Hylton
NZ35NE
Defence
Castle
Medieval
C14/C15
Ruined Building
A fine gatehouse tower with extravagant battlement works and a magnificent display of heraldry. Built by Sir William Hylton in late 14th or early 15th century. Basically rectangular in plan with a central through passage and two vaulted rooms on each side at ground floor level. A stair in the east turret led to the first floor where a central hall rose to the roof and was flanked at the north (high) end by the principal chamber, etc., and at the south (low) end by the kitchen, etc. Other rooms include the chapel in the east turret. The castle was gutted by John Hylton (died 1712) who converted it to 3 storeys and added the north wing. His son John added the south wing, and Neo-Gothick porch. The castle left the Hylton family in 1746, was later bought by Mrs Bowes, then rescued by Simon Temple in 1812, and in 1863 bought by William Briggs, a Sunderland merchant, who carried out major alterations. Threatened with demolition, it was taken into guardianship in c. 1950. Several archaeological excavations have been carried out since the late 1980s, including a detailed study of Hylton Castle compiled by Tyne and Wear Museums Services in 1993, and geophysical survey and excavation by the "Time Team" television programme in June 1994 which revealed a complex of buildings and gardens to the west of the castle, with ploughed out ridge and furrow beyond. Excavation showed the building closest to the castle to be a probable medieval feasting hall contemporary with the gatehouse, with a building further to the east interpreted as a large Elizabethan house. In July 1994 TWMS produced the "Hylton Castle Historic Gardens Project, Research and Restoration Design" report, followed in 1995 by an Earthwork and Documentary Survey of Hylton Castle gardens which concluded that the easternmost range and terraced garden were post medieval in date. Following the interest generated by "Time Team" local residents formed the Friends of Hylton Dene group which has published a new information leaflet and secured LHI funding to hold an event to raise awareness of their local heritage in May 2003. The gardens and dene have been restored by City of Sunderland and Durham Wildlife Trust. SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENT AND LISTED GRADE 1. Said to be haunted by the 'Cauld Lad', a stable boy called Roger Skelton who was murdered by Sir Robert Hilton in the 17th century when he was found asleep on the day of a fox hunt. Hilton was tried for the murder in July 1609 but pardoned because the body was not found. The naked ghost was said to wail and cry 'I'm cauld, I'm cauld'. In 1703 a skeleton of a boy aged 11 or 12 was found in a pond close to the castle and the body was given a Christian burial. Strange figures, noises and lights are still reported {Kirkup 2009}.
3578
5879
NZ35785879
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