Centre of Britain Hotel, Main Street, Haltwhistle

  • Description

    "The oldest part of the Grade II Listed, Centre of Britain Hotel, is a fortified Tower House dating from the early C17th. Several of its old features were discovered during restoration of the former coaching inn, the Red Lion, in 1996-7. It incorporated an unvaulted basement with narrow staircase in the west wall accessing the first floor; first-floor principal apartment with main entrance in the north wall probably originally accessed by ladder; and a second-floor solar also accessed by ladder. Externally, much of the corbelled parapet survives as does a gabled caphouse. Later additions include north and south wings of three storeys - of which the north wing was demolished in the C18th before the rear wing and outshots were added. A tunnel behind a hidden door was found during the renovation work and attracted much interest locally. It is said to have several blocked-up branches, including to the cellars, and has been described as a 'Border Reivers Escape Tunnel'. www.centre-of-britain.org.uk http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/2.2978/mystery-of-ancient-tunnel-under-hotel-1.646242" Photo by Andrew Curtis, 2015.
  • Owner

    Andrew Curtis
  • Source

    Geograph (Geograph)
  • License

    What does this mean? Creative Commons License
  • Further information

    Link: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4347276
    Resource type: Image
    Added by: Simon Cotterill
    Last modified: 4 years ago
    Viewed: 322 times
    Picture Taken: 2015-02-13
  • Co-Curate tags

Comments

Add a comment or share a memory.

Login to add a comment. Sign-up if you don't already have an account.

ABOUT US

Co-Curate is a project which brings together online collections, museums, universities, schools and community groups to make and re-make stories and images from North East England and Cumbria. Co-Curate is a trans-disciplinary project that will open up 'official' museum and 'un-officia'l co-created community-based collections and archives through innovative collaborative approaches using social media and open archives/data.

LATEST SHARED RESOURCES