CHIPCHASE CASTLE, NOKTH TYNEDALE. 299 



heir, in whose family it continued for several generations. About 

 that time the old Pele or Castle of Birtley, formerly "Birkley," 

 was probably built, to judge from the remains of Norman dog- 

 tooth ornament and other architectural relics, which may possibly, 

 however, have come from the adjoining ancient chapel, and from 

 the ruined walls of the tower, still existing in the Yicarage 

 garden. These relics date from the latter half of the twelfth 

 century, though some of the mouldings may belong to the thir- 

 teenth. Birkley Castle, of which no historic trace can now 

 unfortunately be found, was from its stronger defensive position, 

 more likely to be first selected as a temporary residence of the 

 Umframvilles (or the De Insulas under them), in whose barony of 

 Pruclhoe, now one of the Percy baronies, it is still included as a 

 detached manor. The ancient chapel of Birkley, now completely 

 modernised but remaining as the parish church of Birtley, seems 

 to have been endowed by the same family, and land assigned by 

 gift to the great religious house of Hexham; for an adjoining 

 field still bears the name of " The Prior's Croft." 



We come now to the second and more interesting period of 

 the history of Chipchase, that of the building of the great Pele- 

 tower, or square Keep, of the Castle. Although Mr. Hartshorne 

 considers the builder to have been Peter or Robert de Insula,* 

 in whose possession the manor was held, under the Umframvilles, 

 from about 1272 to the beginning of the fourteenth century, Mr. 

 J". D. H. LongstafTe (one of the secretaries of the Newcastle Society 

 of Antiquaries), and an excellent authority, thinks the latter half 

 of the fourteenth century more probable. Mr. Longstaffe, to 

 whom I am indebted for some interesting notes on Chipchase, 

 believes that the machicolations around the summit of the tower 

 and roof, resting on corbels, with openings, (through which 

 stones and boiling water were thrown down on the assailants or 

 besiegers,) are of a character earlier than those of Lumley and 

 Hilton Castles in the county of Durham, and that the windows 

 are of the date of those in the aisles of the parish church at 

 Darlington, circa 1370. If these windows were not insertions 



* In Godwin's " English Archaeologist's Handbook," (1867), p. 107, Chipchase is stated 

 in the list of Castles to have been " Built by Peter de Insula, c. 1250 " 



