About Thirlwall Castle
(Medieval ~ 1330)
John Thirlwall built this stronghold that provided protection for his family and descendants for the next 300 years. The site he chose was north of Greenhead on a sheltered, wooded bank of the Tipalt Burn. All the materials that were needed lay close by – timber, water and neatly dressed sandstone blocks which had been quarried by the Romans to build Hadrian's Wall. In fact 'Thirlwall' means 'gap in the wall'!
Other families were also building similar defensive castles in the area. These became an essential element in the defence of the English Border against Scottish raids. Legend has it that during a particularly violent raid, the Thirlwall family’s most prized possession, a jewel-encrusted gold table, was hidden by a servant down a deep well where he and the table remain to this day, protected by a magic spell!
After the Union of the Scottish and English Crowns in 1603, more peaceful conditions developed and border strongholds became redundant. By the 1660s, the Thirlwalls had moved to Hexham where the land was more fertile and the climate a little gentler. The Thirlwall Castle Estate was sold to the Earl of Carlisle in 1748 for £4,000. The Earl was interested only in the land and allowed the Castle to fall into gradual decay. The Castle is now under the ownership of Northumberland National Park.