Ludworth Tower

The 41A United bus used to take me and my gran to Durham in the early 50's  and I was always fascinated by this 'castle' and the mining shaft tower and buildings nearby.

Ludworth Tower is an early 15th century rectangular tower house, founded by Thomas Holden. In 1422, Cardinal Langley, Bishop of Durham granted him a Durham Palatinate licence to enclose, fortify and crenellate his manor of Ludworth. Over the remains of a tunnel vaulted basement, are two fragments of the three storey west wall, with various window openings, fragments of fireplaces and a first floor spiral staircase. The south and east walls collapsed in the late 19th century and are now grass covered banks and foundations, the pele was once encased by a rectangular bank and ditch. 6 miles west is Durham Castle.


Ludworth used to be a mining community with Low Main and Main Coal seams giving an output at it's peak of 400 tons per day from around 300 miners, 34 were killed while working in the colliery: