Craster Tower - Izeria

Craster Tower is an 18th-century Georgian mansion incorporating a 14th-century pele tower situated near the fishing village of Craster, Northumberland, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.

1. History

The Craster family have owned lands at Craster since about 1278. The substantial rectangular pele tower, originally of four storeys, is believed to date from the mid 14th century. It is referred to in a survey of 1415 as in the ownership of Edmund Crasestir. The property was enlarged around 1666 when a two-storey manor house was built adjoining the east side of the Tower. A stable block (Grade II listed) was built to the north in 1724. In 1769, George Craster erected an impressive five-bayed, three-storey Georgian mansion adjoining the south side of the Tower, which was reduced to three storeys and recastellated at this time. This may be by Newcastle architect William Newton. In 1838, Thomas Wood Craster (High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1852) employed the architect John Dobson to improve and modernise the property. The greater part of the estate was sold by Sir John Craster in 1965. The Tower was bought back by his son, Oswin Craster, and his cousins and was restored and converted into three separate residential apartments.

1. Buildings

Craster Tower is rectangular. At basement level, the walls are 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) thick and a barrel vault supports the upper building. Only one of the tower's windows is believed to be of medieval date. The tower originally had four storeys, but this was reduced to three by George Craster's heightening the middle floor during the 18th century.

1. References


1. Other sources

Fry, Plantagenet Somerset, The David & Charles Book of Castles, David & Charles, 1980. ISBN 0-7153-7976-3

1. External links

Historic England. "Craster Tower (1041813)". National Heritage List for England. Craster History

Nearby Places View Menu

Craster

Craster is a small fishing village on the Northumberland coast of England, eight miles (13 km) from Alnwick. The next village to the north is Embleton. It is within the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Landmark Maritime

Craster Lifeboat Station

Craster Lifeboat Station is located at West End, in the small harbour village of Craster, situated mid-way between Seahouses and Amble, on the coast of Northumberland, England. An Inshore lifeboat was first stationed in Craster by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in August 1969. The station currently operates a D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat, Skpr James Ballard RNVR DSC (D-839), on station since 2019.

Landmark Maritime

Craster radar station

Craster radar station (also known as RAF Craster), was a Chain Home Low (later a Chain Home Extra Low) Second World War radar site at Craster in Northumberland, England. The radar site is north of the village of Craster on an escarpment overlooking the North Sea. The site was opened by early 1942 and was staffed initially by the British Army, but later came under the control of No. 73 Wing of the Royal Air Force, part of No. 60 Group. It closed in 1944 and was later used as a PoW camp.

Historic Site Landmark

Howick house

The Howick house is a Mesolithic site located in Northumberland, England. It was found when an amateur archaeologist noticed flint tools eroding out of a sandy cliff face near the village of Howick. Investigations found a circle of substantial post holes with charcoal stains in their bases, a number of smaller stake holes, some angled in from outside a hollow, and inside the house a number of shallow hearths filled with charcoal, burnt nutshells and some fragments of bone. Radiocarbon dating of the charred hazelnut shells established that the building was constructed about 7600 BC and occupied for about 100 years, which led to the find being called "Britain's oldest house". This title was disputed in 2010 when the discovery of the even older 'house-structure' at Star Carr in North Yorkshire was announced. Some of the hearths showed signs only of nut roasting, and the numbers of shells suggested that food was cooked here in quantity, perhaps to preserve it for times of scarcity. Together with the very substantial construction shown by the size of post holes, this led to the view that the house was occupied permanently rather than being used on a transient or seasonal basis as expected during the Mesolithic period. Charred hazelnut shells have been found at several other sites from this period, including Cramond, but their smaller stake holes were interpreted as remains of a temporary encampment. The interpretation that this was a permanent residence for hunter-gatherers is supported by analysis that Howick is a place where natural resources would have allowed all-year-round occupation. Its coastal position provided animals, flint for tools, wood for construction and fuel, fish, seals, sea birds and their eggs, shellfish and a nearby source of fresh water that was available at the time of occupation. Many sites from this time are coastal, but the particular circumstances found here and the evidence of ceremonial ritual from the site at Star Carr in Yorkshire, only 100 miles away, are interpreted as indicating that Mesolithic hunter-gatherers were capable of establishing permanent settlements.

Historic Site Landmark