Hidden Teesside

This is my first third party contribution courtesy of barender and redpete from redcar.net so many thanks to them for the photos and information. Click on the small thumbnails for bigger photos although not from the usual Flickr.

First things first, this site is on private property belonging to Skelton Estates and they had permission to visit it. If you intend to visit, make sure you get permission too.

The remains visible are of a castle built between 1190 and 1200 by the Kilton family on a long promentary overlooking Kilton Beck. By the mid 1300s it had fallen out of use and was totally abandoned by the 16th century. The area covers approximately 100m x 30m and has been heavily robbed out over the years.
The eastern tower contains a crossbow window, and a huge crack that will eventually lead to its demise.

Here are some shots of the same area internally.

A stretch of the northern wall still remains.

Some doorways are still visible in the heavy undergrowth now covering the internally structure, one has been highlighted for us here.

Also the remains of a well are visible inside.

Tees Archaeology has a huge amount of detail on the castle.

The village of Whorlton no longer exists, just the 14th Century castle and church remain between Swainby and Faceby.

 
The cellars to the rear are from an even earlier castle

A 13th Century castle, but without the usual gift shop and tourist buses,nice bricked up 16th century Elizabethan mullioned windows. The castle was a ruin in 1309, habitable again in the Civil War when it was destroyed in 1647

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