Description

NZ 25 SW,
3/62

URPETH,
HAMMER SQUARE BANK (North side, off),
Pele tower on east return of Pockerley Farmhouse

GV

II*

Pele tower. Probably C15 with later alterations and additions. Coursed rubble
with large stones inlower courses; Welsh slate roof. Rectangular plan: 10.3
metres long and 7.3 metres wide.

Two storeys. Raised east gable end has large, roughly-squared quoins, wide
segmental relieving arch below gable and two later battered buttresses with C20
casement between. South wall has fragment of plinth, similar masonry and a
late C19 first-floor sash. North wall, hidden by added narrow outshut, had a
blocked 2-light window, with arched heads and hoodmould, on first floor (window
may still be behind outshut). West gable end hidden by adjoining farmhouse
(q.v.). Steeply-pitched roof with coped east gable.

Interior entered via doorway in barn on south. Walls 1.6-metres thick on ground
floor and 1.2-metres thick above. Passage with 2 openings on north: roughly-
arched opening to mural stairway inside east gable; chamfered round-arched
doorway into stone barrel-vaulted chamber with blocked splayed loop at west.
Mural stairway to first-floor square-headed doorway. Subdivided upper chamber
has 3 cambered ceiling beams of heavy scantling. Main room has wide chamfered
fireplace and 2 blocked windows behind cupboards on north wall. Small chamber
beyond lath and plaster partition has blocked window with rough shouldered rear
arch.

Partly reconstructed roof retains many original timbers of heavy scantling with
wood pegged joints. 3 similar principal trusses: jowled king posts on tie
beams have arched braces to ridge piece; principal rafters halved into re-used
cambered collars which are halved into the king posts. 2 intermediate trusses
with principals bedded into wall.

A rare though altered example of a pele-tower in County Durham which appears to
retain a largely original roof structure.

Listing NGR: NZ2224354556

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536298

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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