Hylton Castle, North East England
The castle we see at Hylton today was built by Sir William Hylton between the late 14th and early 15th Centuries. Sir William succeeded his father at the age of 21 and set himself the task of building a residence.
The castle's gatehouse tower is the only part of the castle still standing today. Although it is called a gatehouse, that term is somewhat confusing here- it is actually more of a small self-contained castle. Built originally with four storeys, it provided living accommodation for the Hylton family. The ground floor originally had a central gate passage with vaulted chambers. On one side would have been storerooms, while the other functioned as the guardroom and private chamber. The first floor was the great hall, rising to roof level, with a kitchen, pantry and buttery at one end and a chamber at the other. The second floor had similar private chambers, reached from a staircase off the hall.
The household inventory which was carried out on the death of Sir William Hylton in 1435 mentions, in addition to the castle, a hall, four chambers, two barns, a kitchen, and the chapel. This confirms other buildings on the site at this time.
The last member of the Hylton family died in 1746 and the estate was sold, eventually coming into the ownership of William Briggs, who demolished the 18th Century wings, added larger windows and rebuilt the interior. Sadly, having been neglected through the 20th Century, only the walls now remain.
Next to the castle stands the remains of a chapel dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. A chapel is known to have existed here since 1157 but the current building dates from the 15th Century. It was modified in the 16th Century, when a five light east window and transepts were added.
The castle and chapel are now Grade 1 Listed Buildings and are a Scheduled Ancient Monument in the care of English Heritage.
Having been neglected and forgotten, the Friends of Hylton Castle are looking to breathe new life into this ancient building, with a new project now being undertaken that is said to:
‘create a new community based, heritage led, visitors attraction that celebrates the stories of Hylton Castle. Over the coming months, the shell of the gatehouse will be transformed into a new space for the 21st Century. New floors, stairs, and a lift will be created inside the structure, to house a café, exhibition and flexible spaces for community and educational use.’
While I’m not usually a fan of creating new things inside old spaces, Hylton is the exception. For anyone who has visited, the inside is locked and nothing more than a shell remains, although protected, it still feels forgotten. So perhaps this project will at least provide some much needed care and attention to this historic building.