Featherstone Township, 1848

FEATHERSTONE, a township, in the parish and union of Haltwhistle, W. division of Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland, 3¾ miles (S.W.) from Haltwhistle; containing 265 inhabitants. It comprises, besides a few scattered houses, the hamlets of Horse Close, Kellah, and Row-Foot. Featherstone Castle is on the east side of the South Tyne, opposite its confluence with the Hartley burn, in a beautiful situation. It was from an early period the seat of the Featherstonehaugh family, one of whom, Timothy, raised a troop of horse for the king during the civil war, and was knighted under the royal banner. The castle stands in a spacious lawn skirted with trees of luxuriant foliage, and is an exceedingly fine structure, with embattled walls, and four towers, of which three are of recent erection; the interior is enriched by some splendid pictures, and attached are a domestic chapel, and a well-arranged suite of offices. The gardens are surrounded by walls in the castellated style; and the extensive woods and plantations belonging to the estate, contribute much to the grandeur of this noble mansion. The whole of the buildings, and the improvements around them, with the exception of the ancient tower, originated with Lord Wallace, who, for nearly forty years, was a member of the house of commons; in 1828 he was elevated to the peerage for his eminent services, having filled various high offices in the government: he died in 1844.