Preston Pele Tower

On our way back from our Farne Islands boat trip the other day (see previous post), we just had enough time to call in at a place which I'd passed loads of times without giving it a second thought. It's Preston Pele Tower, about a mile south of Chathill, Northumberland. Though there is no fee to pay, you are politely requested to drop £4 into the honesty box.

It's an odd-looking affair, its slenderness resulting from its partial demolition at some point in the past - probably after the union of the crowns in 1603. It is supposed to have four corner turrets, giving the appearance of a sort of mini-castle, but all that remains are the two southern towers. It is essentially half a pele tower.

It was built in the 1390s, at a time when the border region was ablaze with Anglo-Scottish rivalry - to say nothing of the rapidly accelerating uncertainty of the Border Reiver era. Families with something to protect felt it necessary to build such fortifications - though I'm not sure which clan was responsible for this splendid fourteenth century effort. It does, though, bear the same masons' marks as those found at Warkworth Castle.

Above can be seen the tower's clock face (actually, in has one on each side of the tower), added by owner, Henry Baker Cresswell, in 1864 during renovation work to the structure.

Upon arrival - and assuming there are no 'functions' taking place at the location - there is nothing and nobody to stop the casual visitor from entering and having a wander around the internal bits. The rooms are spread out over several floors and are tiny, but have been 'done out' in typical olde worlde style, as you can see from the pics below (please excuse my wife getting in the way):

Here are the workings of the clock:

And here is the scene from the top storey:

(yes, that's Angie again, I'm afraid, who appears to be vomiting over the parapet)

And, of course, the obligatory Information Panels (click on images to enlarge):

The light was dying fast on our brief visit, so my apologies for the iffy photos. As I hinted at earlier, the site hosts events from time to time, so unless you're 'just passing' and fancy calling in on spec then it's best to give them a ring first. Website here.