Morpeth Town Belfry

Has been described as a Questionable Pele Tower

There are major building remains

NameMorpeth Town Belfry
Alternative NamesThe Clock Tower
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishMorpeth

Long writes “The Belfry is in Oldgate and is C15 with later additions. This tower may well have been used for a refuge as well as a signal or warning tower.” Presumably this refers to the Clock Tower recorded in the SMR as 'This five-storey tower stands in Oldgate in the centre of Morpeth. It has thick walls and is built from squared and coursed sandstone blocks. The earliest reference to the building comes from 1659, and in 1802 it was used as the town lock-up. A map of 1826 shows the tower with an enclosure on the east. It was probably built from stone and masonry taken from the ruins of either Newminster Abbey or a gateway, which stood at the west end of Oldgate.' and in PastScape as 'Probable early C17 belfry and clock tower surviving as a roofed building. Incorporates earlier masonry.'

It has been suggested that the Clock Tower in the middle of Oldgate is of 15th century date with later additions, and that the tower may have been used for a refuge as well as a signal or warning tower (Long 1967, 136). However, such isolated belfry towers are rare in England and since it is not shown on the 1604 map, it probably dates from the early 17th century, reusing earlier masonry from elsewhere (possibly Newminster) including a 14th century cusp-headed window. The top floor was added in 1704, and an inscription records repairs of 1760 (Pevsner 1992, 397). An assessment of the tower and its history (Event No: 39) was prepared by Ryder in 2000. (Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNZ197859
Latitude55.16748046875
Longitude-1.69119000434875
Eastings419760
Northings585950
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Pevsner, N, et al., 1992, The Buildings of England: Northumberland p. 397
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 242
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 136

Other

  • Northumberland County Council, 2009, 'Morpeth' Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey doi:10.5284/1000177 [download copy > http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/northumberland_eus_2011/downloads.cfm?REDSQUIDARCHIVES_7_799BB461-A0C4-488C-B90DF1259EFE2DA8&area=Morpeth]