Barmoor Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Barmoor Castle stands near the village of Lowick, in north Northumberland, a few kilometres from the Scottish border. Behind its appearance as a large crenellated early 19th-century mansion lies a medieval fortified site: in 1341 Thomas de Muschamp obtained permission to crenellate a tower, recorded as a “fortalice” in 1415. The present building is the work of the Edinburgh architect John Paterson, who in 1801 designed for Francis Sitwell a castellated Gothic mansion incorporating older masonry. Work continued in stages through almost the whole of the 19th century. The entrance front is arranged around a four-storey crenellated porch tower, while the banqueting wing, flanked by round towers, opens through a large bow window. The interior retains an oval vestibule, a cantilevered staircase beneath a glazed dome and an oval drawing room with eight doors. Listed Grade II*, the building deteriorated badly in the late 20th century: the north wing was roofless and the monument was on the Heritage at Risk Register from 2009 to 2016. It now stands within a caravan park, and plans for its restoration as holiday apartments have been undertaken; it is not open to visitors.