Elsdon Tower : The House

The added ranges to the north and west of the tower incorporate work of a number of different dates. They consist of:

A pent-roofed single-storeyed vestibule or lobby set against the north wall of the tower, built of squared and tooled stone with ashlar dressings.

An embattled ashlar porch, with a double-chamfered four-centred arch, a later addition to the east end of the vestibule.

The north wing, containing the stair hall and the sitting room, with a large bedroom above. Its east front, with Tudor detailing, is clearly of the same build (c 1825?) as the vestibule; in style it is very similar to some near-contemporary work by John Dobson (cf Embleton Vicarage of 1828). The north and west walls show that it is a remodelling of an earlier single-storeyed structure, possibly of later 18th-century date. In the otherwise blank upper section of the west wall a medieval spout or gargoyle, somewhat damaged, has been re-set.

The northern of two parallel gabled east-west wings (containing the dining room) appears to be the earlier, although it seems to post-date the lower part of the north wing. Its openings have diagonally-tooled ashlar dressings. It may be of late 18th or early 19th century date. The southern wall of this wing is of some thickness, which might indicate that it contains earlier (17th century?) fabric, although incorporated chimney stacks might be a more plausible explanation.

The southern of the two wings, containing the kitchen, is an addition, built of squared tooled stone. The return of its gable coping is characteristic of c 1820 - 30.

A wing extending southwards from the west end of the kitchen wing may be contemporary with it; although sometimes said to be of c1700 there is no clear evidence of pre 19th century date.

It is worth noting that the north wing, the northern of the east-west wings, and the wing extending south from the kitchen all have kneelers of the same type; this seems more likely to result from a general 'tidying up' when the north wing was built, rather than all three parts of the building being of contemporary build.