View source for Widdrington Castle

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox castle
|name = Widdrington Castle
|location = [[Northumberland]], [[England]], UK
|pushpin_map = United Kingdom Northumberland
|pushpin_map_caption = Location in [[Northumberland]]
|image = 
|caption = 
|gridref = {{gbmappingsmall|NZ255956}}
|coordinates = {{Coord|55.254|-1.599|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Widdrington Castle''' is a [[Scheduled Monument|Scheduled Ancient Monument]] and the site of a former medieval [[tower house]] and castle at [[Widdrington, Northumberland]], England of which only earthworks now remain. The location is within a mile or so of the [[North Sea]].

The property was owned by the Widdrington family from the 12th century. In 1341 Gerard Widdrington was granted a licence to [[crenellate]] the house, which was later rebuilt in the early 17th century as a manor house. Engravings show a substantial tower with bartizans (projecting turrets) at the corners, similar to the surviving structure at nearby [[Belsay Castle]].

The Scottish lord [[Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley|Claud Hamilton]] was an exile at the castle in 1583.<ref>William Boyd, ''Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1581-1583'', vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1914), pp. 401-402.</ref> At the [[Union of the Crowns]], [[James VI and I]] came to Widdrington on 8 April 1603.<ref>Robert Chambers, ''The Life of King James the First'', 2 (Edinburgh, 1830), p. 20.</ref> He knighted [[Henry Widdrington (died 1623)|Henry Widdrington]].<ref>Edward Arber, ''An English Garner'', vol. 8 (Archibald Constable, 1896), p. 499.</ref> [[Anne of Denmark]] and her children stayed in the castle on their way to London on 7 June 1603.<ref>''HMC Salisbury Hatfield'', vol. 15 (London, 1930), p. 126.</ref>

[[William Widdrington, 1st Baron Widdrington|William Widdrington]] married the heiress of [[Blankney Hall]], [[Lincolnshire]] in 1643 and the castle ceased to be the main family residence.

The estates of a later [[William Widdrington, 4th Baron Widdrington|William Widdrington]] were sequestrated, and sold by the Crown, as a result of his attainder for treason for his part in the [[Jacobite rising of 1715]]. The castle was reported to be in a ruinous condition in 1720.

New owners began a rebuild in 1772 but the structure was destroyed by fire. A second attempt at reconstruction was more successful but the new Gothic-style castle was demolished in 1862.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/English%20sites/3727.html Widdrington Castle]
*[http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N11883 Keys to the Past]
*[http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/specialcollections/treasures/?treasure_id=99  Lost Castles]

{{Castles in North East England}}

[[Category:Castles in Northumberland]]
[[Category:Scheduled monuments in Northumberland]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 1862]]