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Staward pele is a fortified tower house located in Northumberland, dating to the fourteenth century. The structure exemplifies the pele tower tradition characteristic of the Anglo-Scottish border region, where such defensive buildings provided refuge for local populations during periods of cross-border raiding and conflict. The tower is constructed of stone and retains evidence of its original defensive architecture, including thick walls and limited window openings typical of medieval fortifications designed for protection rather than domestic comfort. As one of numerous pele towers built throughout Northumberland and Cumberland during the medieval period, Staward pele represents an important architectural response to the particular security challenges faced by border communities during the later Middle Ages.
Staward pele is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1006592. View the official record →
Staward pele is a fortified tower house located in Northumberland, dating to the fourteenth century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1006592.
Staward pele is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1006592.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Earthwork and buried remains of Stublick Colliery, immediately south east of Stublick (3.3 km), Langley and Blagill lead smeltmills, flue and chimney (3.3 km), Willimontswyke (uninhabited portions) (4.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Staward pele's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Staward pele stands on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.