Dally Castle

Dally Castle, located roughly 6km west of Bellingham in Northumberland, is a weathered 13-century ruin of a motte and bailey castle that started out originally as a hall house. A fortified manor house.

Construction began around 1237 under the direction of David de Lindsay. Originally intended as a fortified manor house within his Chirdon estate, Dally's imposing stone walls and tower-like design raised concerns with the Sheriff of Northumberland. Fearing its potential military use, he dobbed him in to King Henry III.

By the 18th century, Dally Castle shared the fate of many medieval structures, falling into disrepair. The stones themselves became convenient building materials, with a portion used to construct the nearby Dally Castle House and Dally Castle Mill. As you can see, only the foundations remain.

Dally Castle has a pretty impressive historical significance though as it represents one of the earliest hall houses built in Northumberland, serving as a fabulous example of the architectural transition from simple manor houses to fortified tower houses during the medieval period. We sent Red5 up for a better look.

The castle ruins are now managed by the Northumberland National Park and are free to access during daylight hours.