The Extent Of The Umfraville Domains

The liberty of Redesdale included not only that valley of the Rede itself, from a point just north of its confluence with the North Tyne as far as the Scottish border, but also stretched north to incorporate the south side of the upper Coquet, including the entire catchment around the headwaters - the area known as Kidland - and of course the site of Harbottle castle itself.

This represented two parishes in Redesdale - Elsdon and Corsenside - and one in Coquetdale - Holystone. In addition the Umfravilles held ten vills (townships) in the neighbouring de Vesci barony of Alnwick, comprising two blocks - Alwinton, Clennell, Biddlestone, Shirmondesden, Sharperton, Farnham (Thirnum), Burradon and Netherton, incorporating the north side of upper Coquetdale directly adjoining the liberty, and, separated from the remainder, Ingram and Fawdon in the Breamish valley.

They were also granted Little Ryle, north of Netherton, in there own right as tenants in chief of the king. To the south of the liberty, another group of the estates, belonging to the barony of Prudhoe, stretched south along the North Tyne and eastward to the headwaters of the Wansbeck, separated by only three miles from the cluster of manors around the baronial caput at Prudhoe itself . Possession of this vast swathe of territory, stretching from the lower Tyne to the Scottish border (see fig. 19), made the Umfravilles the most powerful of the Northumbrian barons - 'Potentium de Nordthanymbria potentissimus' - up until the 14th century (Tuck 1971, 24).