Hylton Castle

Hylton Castle ( ) is a stone castle in the North Hylton area of Sunderland, England. Originally built from wood by the Hilton (later Hylton) family shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066, it was later rebuilt in stone in the late 14th to early 15th century. The castle underwent major changes to its interior and exterior in the 18th century and it remained the principal seat of the Hylton family until the death of the last Baron in 1746. It was then Gothicised but neglected until 1812, when it was revitalised by a new owner. Standing empty again until the 1840s, it was briefly used as a school until it was purchased again in 1862. The site passed to a local coal company in the early 20th century and was taken over by the state in 1950.

One of the castle's main features is the range of heraldic devices found mainly on the west façade, which have been retained from the castle's original construction. They depict the coats of arms belonging to local gentry and peers of the late 14th to early 15th centuries and provide an approximate date of the castle's reconstruction from wood to stone.

The castle is owned by English Heritage, a charity which manages the historical environment of England. The surrounding parkland is maintained by a community organisation. The castle and its chapel are protected as a Grade I listed building and a scheduled monument. In February 2016, plans were announced to turn the castle into a community facility and visitor attraction, with the Heritage Lottery Fund awarding £2.9 million, and Sunderland Council £1.5 million, to provide classrooms, a cafe and rooms for exhibitions, meetings and events.

History

Early history

The Hylton family had been settled in England since the reign of King Athelstan (c.895–939). At this time, Adam de Hylton gave to the monastery of Hartlepool a pyx or crucifix, weighing in silver and emblazoned with his coat of arms – argent, two bars azure. Although called a gatehouse, it belongs to a type of small, late-14th-century castle, similar to Old Wardour, Bywell and Nunney castles. The castle was first mentioned in a household inventory taken in 1448, as "a gatehouse constructed of stone" and although no construction details survive, it is believed the stone castle was built sometime between 1390 and the early 15th century, due to the coat of arms featured above the west entrance (see Heraldry below). It has been suggested that Sir William intended to erect a larger castle in addition to the gatehouse, but abandoned his plan.

The household inventory taken on Sir William's death in 1435 mentions, in addition to the castle, a hall, four chambers, two barns, a kitchen, and the chapel, indicating the existence of other buildings on the site at that time. It was returned to the family after the Restoration, to Henry's nephew, John Hylton, de jure 15th Baron Hylton.

After 1728, Hylton's second son, John Hylton, de jure 18th Baron Hylton added a complementary south wing (its foundation wall still extant), crenellations to both wings and removed the door on the north wing. It was instead bought by Lady Bowes, the widow of Sir George Bowes of Streatlam and Gibside in County Durham. At this time, a stucco decoration (long since disappeared) to the wine and drawing rooms was added by Pietro La Francini, who worked for Daniel Garrett (who had worked for Lady Bowes on Gibside Banqueting House). Garrett probably designed the Gothic porch installed in the west entrance and the Gothic screen and single-storey, bow-fronted rooms installed to close off the east entrance. Joseph Swan was one of the pupils there around this time. The school does not seem to have existed for long as Howitt commented in 1842, that it was "a scene of great desolation ... the windows for the most part, all along the front, are boarded up ... the whole of this large old house is now empty ... and in the most desolate state".

In 1862, the castle was put up for sale by the Strathmores and purchased by William Briggs, a local timber merchant and ship builder. Briggs set about to change the appearance of the castle to what he believed to be more "authentic[ally] medieval". At the east end of the former central passage, dog-leg stairs were constructed leading to the first floor, requiring removal of the oratory and rendering the main staircase inaccessible from the ground floor.

20th century

thumb|upright|Interior of castle, 2006

After Colonel Briggs' death in 1900, the castle passed into the hands of the Wearmouth Coal Company about 1908, and from there to the National Coal Board. Due to the expansion of Sunderland in the 1940s, the castle became surrounded by housing estates including those of Castletown and Hylton Castle. The castle was vandalised and had the lead from its roof stolen. The ministry also appointed a full-time custodian and replaced the missing lead roof with roofing felt to make the site waterproof.

Chapel

thumb|St Catherine's chapel.

A chapel dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria is known to have existed on the site since 1157, when the Prior of Durham agreed to allow Romanus de Hilton to appoint his own chaplain for the chapel, subject to the prior's approval. In return, de Hilton was to provide an annual contribution of 24 sheaves of oats for every draught ox he owned, to the nearby monastery at Monkwearmouth, and was required to attend the mother church of St Peters for the feasts of the Nativity, Easter, Whitsuntide and Saints Peter and Paul.

The chapel, which is on a small embankment to the north east of the castle, was rebuilt in stone in the early 15th century. It was modified from the late 15th to late 16th century, when a Perpendicular Gothic, five-light east window and transepts were added. The west façade of the chapel was later demolished and the chancel arch was built up to form a new one with a Gibbs surround. Once restored, the castle could be opened. The chairman of the Castle in the Community John Coulthard described the castle, Sunderland's second oldest building, as "an asset in the city – it is a lovely setting and we would love to see it bring in some income".

There have been four organised International Reunion(s) of Hylton Families over the past few years; most notably on 4 July 2004, when around fifty American descendants of the Hylton family visited the castle to present a flag featuring the Hylton blazon. The flag now flies from the recently installed flagpole, provided by English Heritage. The tower's south angle is splayed to accommodate the main staircase and only the corbels of its parapet survive. Originally there were four figures on each corner turret and bartizan; only five have survived. The other two rooms to the left were used to house staff or storage. The oratory was entered via a five-and-a-half high pointed-arch doorway and contained an altar and piscina, of which only an ornamental niche remains. There were also four closet-chambers in the turrets on the roof, used by staff.

thumb|right|250px|Heraldry on the west façade of Hylton Castle, 2008.<br />(click image for numbering)

England and France quarterly – The banner of Henry IV of England
Quarterly 1 and 4: Or a Lion rampant Azure (Percy); 2 and 3: Gules, three luces haurient Argent (Lucy) – Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
Percy (unquartered) – Sir Henry "Hotspur" Percy (son of the above)
A Lion rampant debruised by a bend – Sir Peter Tilliol
Within a bordure two Lions passant – Felton of Edlington
Azure, three herons Argent – Sir William Heron
A Lion rampant – believed to be the Royal coat of arms of Scotland
Quarterly, Argent, two bars Azure and Or six annulets Gules (Hylton quartering Hylton of Swine) – The Westmoreland branch of the Hyltons.
Argent, a fess Gules inter three popinjays Vert – Sir Ralph Lumley (later Baron Lumley)
A Lion within a bordure engrailed – Sir Thomas Grey (or his son)
Or and Gules quarterly, over all on a bend three scallops – Sir Ralph Evers (Eure)
Azure, a chief dancette Or – FitzRanulph of Middleham
Argent, two bars, and three mullets in chief – Sir William Washington
Argent, a fess inter three crescents Gules – Sir Robert Ogle
William de Ros, 6th Baron de Ros
Ermine, on a canton Gules an orle Or – Sir Thomas Surtees
Ermine, three bows Gules – Sir Robert Bowes
Thomas Weston, chancellor to Bishop Skirlaw
Walter Skirlaw (Bishop of Durham 1388–1406)
Argent, two bars Azure – Sir William Hylton

Although it was necessary for Briggs to move the Hylton banner to make way for a new entrance, it can be seen from a colour version of Bucks' engraving that the shields were previously placed not as they are today (particularly Weston and Skirlaw's). Briggs is believed to have re-arranged the shields, disrupting their original hierarchical arrangement.

The arms shown of Henry IV are those he adopted c. 1400, after simplifying the French quarters (see Armorial of Plantagenet)

East façade

The east façade of the castle features a slanted shield containing the Hylton arms (Argent, two bars Azure) and a white hart (male deer), lodged, chained and collared with a coronet, Or. The hart is possibly the badge used by Richard II of England (indicating construction began before Richard's deposition in 1399) or an earlier crest used by the family after it was granted by William I of England, in reward for the services of the previously mentioned Lancelot de Hilton.

Hauntings

There is a local tradition that Hylton Castle is haunted by the spirit of Robert Skelton, known as the Cauld (a pronunciation of "cold" in Mackem) Lad of Hylton. Various versions of how he was killed exist, the most popular being that he was decapitated by Sir Robert Hylton (later de jure 13th Baron Hylton), after falling asleep and failing to get his master's horse ready on time. Skelton's spirit then began to haunt the castle and would move objects, either misplacing them or tidying up. The spirit was said to have been finally laid to rest when the castle servants put a cloak out for him.

History

Early history

20th century

Chapel

East façade

Hauntings

Notes

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links