NAWORTH CASTLE

Cumberland

Naworth Castle is a very attractive mish-mash of architectural styles.  Licence to crenellate was granted to Ranulf de Dacre in 1335 and he built a Castle in the typical 14th century quadrangle style with corner towers.  Of these only the "Dacre Tower" survives (pictured right), the other surviving tower (the "Howard Tower") being built in the early 1500s by Thomas Dacre.  One of the other original towers survives as the squat "Boat House", giving away little of its original 'tower' character.

Thomas Dacre became Warden of the Western March in the early Tudor period and rebuilt the Castle extensively and most of the courtyard buildings belong to this period.  A terrible fire gutted the north-east range which was rebuilt by Anthony Salvin in 1844 with his usual skill and ability to blend new work with old.

The Dacres lost their land during the Rising of the North (1569/70).  Leonard Dacre was defeated in a nearby skirmish with some of Queen Elizabeth's supporters and Naworth was granted to the Howard family.  In the Jacobean era William Howard earned the nickname "Belted Will" and was a zealous enforcer of law and order.  He removed the roof from Kirkoswald Castle and inserted it into the Howard Tower at Naworth.

Descendants of the Howards still live in Naworth Castle which is open to the public during the summer.

Back to Castles of Cumberland Page

© Text copyright - Raving Loony Productions, Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Photos and Artwork - Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Web Design and Layout - Andrew J. Müller
2002