Dalden Tower
DALDEN TOWER, DAWDON DENE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1232268
- Date first listed:
- 21-Jun-1950
- List Entry Name:
- Dalden Tower
- Statutory Address:
- DALDEN TOWER, DAWDON DENE
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Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 1999-08-16
- Reference:
- IOE01/01252/13
- Rights:
- © Mr T W Henderson. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1232268
- Date first listed:
- 21-Jun-1950
- List Entry Name:
- Dalden Tower
- Statutory Address 1:
- DALDEN TOWER, DAWDON DENE
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:
- DALDEN TOWER, DAWDON DENE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- County Durham (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Seaham
- National Grid Reference:
- NZ 42024 48742
Details
NZ 44 NW 421488 SEAHAM DAWDON DENE (West side)
4/31 Dalden Tower
21.6.50 II*
Fragmentary remains of a medieval hall or tower house. C14 or slightly earlier. Roughly dressed limestone and sandstone walls with rubble infill. Rectangular plan c.l0 x 15 metres. North, east and west walls c.1.5 metres thick and up to 8 metres high; low south wall. North wall has irregular opening and remains of rebated jamb at ground level and a 1st floor corbel course. West wall has chimney recess and fragmentary jamb at south-west corner. East wall adjoins low south wall and has chimney recess and, to right at 1st floor level, a decorated rectangular niche probably of early C14 date. Niche framed by attached colonnettes has roughly square panel decorated by ogee arch with reticulated tracery in tympanum and 4 flanking carved representations of traceried windows. Lintel above has worn decorative feature crowning arch and 2 flanking shields. Rebates within niche suggest that it contained a wooden shelf and was probably a buffet for the display of plate or food. East wall continues to left and has a dressed stone jamb and the remains of a splayed opening at ground level. Excavations during 1965-6 revealed further considerable remains.
Dalden Tower is a scheduled Ancient Monument.
"Theodore Nicholson, Report of Excavations at Dalden Tower 1965-6, Antiquities of [Sunderland Vol XXIV 1969"]
Listing NGR: NZ4202448742
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 407589
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Nicholson, T, Antiquities of Sunderland, (1969)
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 09-Jun-2026 at 17:08:18.
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.