Mortham Tower
MORTHAM TOWER
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1160832
- Date first listed:
- 19-Jan-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Mortham Tower
- Statutory Address:
- MORTHAM TOWER
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1160832
- Date first listed:
- 19-Jan-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Mortham Tower
- Statutory Address 1:
- MORTHAM TOWER
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- MORTHAM TOWER
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- County Durham (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Rokeby
- National Grid Reference:
- NZ 08610 14209
Details
NZ 0814 ROKEBY MORTHAM
13/137 Mortham Tower
19.1.52
GV I
Fortified Manor House. Hall, solar, north-west wing and perhaps south-east range probably C14 in origin; Tower later C15; south-west range, courtyard wall and gateway probably early C16; solar remodelled as Great Chamber in later C16; Hall altered to barn c.1820; 1939 restoration by David Hodges and Kenneth Peacock for Mrs Rhodes-Moorhouse.
Solar and north-west wing rubble; Hall rubble to north and ashlar to south; Tower ashlar except for roughly-squared stone on lower parts of north and east elevations; courtyard wall and gateway large roughly-squared stone; south-east range large squared stone on west and rubble on east; south-west range rubble; cut dressings. Graduatedstone slate roofs except for C20 flat roof on Tower.
Plan: Ranges around courtyard, closed on south by wall with central gateway. Hall on north and Tower inserted at north-west corner between Hall and Great Chamber on north, north-west wing beyond. Most windows square-headed, with or without mullions and hoodmoulds; chamfered and hollow-chamfered surrounds.
Hall/Great Chamber range: Both north and south elevations show central early C19 round-headed arches, remains of blocked mullioned windows and barn slit vents. Great Chamber has lateral stack at north. East gable end rebuilt early C19, with 1939 mullioned windows. West gable shows later C16 2-storey canted bay. North-west wing has projecting east bay with restored 3-light 1st floor window; remains of original end stack at north end.
Square Tower with north-east stair turret partly within adjacent range. Lower floors have restored 2-light windows; 2nd floor has 1- and 2-light windows with cinquefoil-headed lights. Tall parapet, with angle bartizans above string course; upper parapet, above second string, has large square-headed openings and embattled cresting to bartizans. Some chamfered loops.
South-east range to courtyard 2 storeys, 4 irregular bays; left bay is later addition. Windows mostly mullioned, some restored. Hip-ended roof. South end shows fine sundial dated 1566.
South-west range to courtyard 2 storeys, 3 irregular bays. Similar windows. South end 4-light transomed window with hoodmould stepped up over central panel with shield. To rear 2 stepped buttresses and lateral stack.
Courtyard wall: Projecting central gateway has double-chamfered 4-centred arch with hollow-chamfered hoodmould, between later raking buttresses incorporating several C12 and C13 grave covers; west projecting turret; embattled parapets. Flight of internal stone steps up each end serves wall walk and 1st floor doorways in the adjacent ranges; eastern stair has old slab with Rokeby arms and intials.
Interior: Hall retains two C14 roof trusses with long moulded arch braces to collars carrying upper king posts; cusping at heads of principals and posts; later tie beams. 1st floor Great Chamber has richly-moulded C16 ceiling beams and joists, and contemporary Tudor-arched fireplace; room in north-west wing has similar fireplace with carved lintel, and C16 ornamental plasterwork over bay window. In Tower other old fireplaces, doorways, garderobes and windows with stone seats; at wall head are corbels formerly carrying fighting platform serving upper-level embrasures. South-west range has C16 roof.
Historical Note: Built by Rokeby family on a new site following destruction of previous house by raiding Scots after Bannockburn; declined to farm use in C18 and C19.
C. Hussey, 'Mortham Tower, Yorkshire', Country Life, July 6 1945, 24-7.
Listing NGR: NZ0861014209
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 111727
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Country Life in July, (1945), 24 27
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 20:14:56.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.