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Pele Tower


Pele towers were fortified houses built along both sides of the English and Scottish borders, mostly in settlements which did not have a castle. An English Act of Parliament in 1455, required the towers to have an iron basket on top of the tower to provide a warning signal of smoke or fire signal when under attack.[1] Typically the pele towers were the homes of the lairds and landlords of the area, but the towers were big enough to provide a refuge for everyone in the village during a border raid. Some were associated with a church (known as a 'Vicar's Pele'). Today many of the surviving pele towers have been converted into modern private residences.
Buildings Johnby Hall Cockle Park Tower Ormside Hall Anglo-Scottish Wars Hutton John Branthwaite Hall Low Hall and Pele Tower Castles Crawley Tower, near Powburn Vicar's Pele Dalden Tower Old Vicarage Church of St Anne, Ancroft Tower House, Alnham Duddo Tower Tosson Tower Centre of Britain Hotel Mortham Tower Craster Tower Rose Castle Doddington Bastle Hepburn Bastle West Bitchfield Bastle House Millom Castle Skelsmergh Hall Armathwaite Castle Dalton Castle Isel Hall Biddlestone Catholic Chapel Kentmere Hall Yanwath Hall Elsdon Tower Church of St John the Baptist, Newton Arlosh Pele Tower, Shilbottle Killington Hall Whitton Tower Tarn House, Midgeholme Preston Tower Shortflatt Tower Arnside Tower Belsay Castle Horsley Tower Ludworth Tower Howgill Castle, Milburn Church of St Cuthbert, Great Salkeld Burradon Tower Dunstan Hall Parson's Tower, Ford
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Horsley Tower

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The Vicar's Pele Tower, Corbridge

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" ON BATTLED TOWER AND PORTAL GREY" - MORTHAM TOWER

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Elsdon Tower House

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Salter's Road Walk,Alnham

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Horsley Tower
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Horsley Tower
- Overview Street View The fortified towerhouse in Longhorsley was built by the Horsley family in the 16th century at a time when there were frequent boarder raids and hostilities with …
Vicar's Pele
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Vicar's Pele
- Overview Map Street View The Vicar's Pele (defensive tower) was built in the churchyard of St Andrew's Church, Corbridge, in c.1318.[1] The Pele incorporates reused Roman masonry and has a …
Tower House, Alnham
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Tower House, Alnham
Elsdon Tower
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Elsdon Tower
- Overview About Elsdon Tower Map Street View "Elsdon Tower is a medieval towerhouse, now converted for residential use. It was recorded as a 'Vicar's Pele' in 1415 and thought to …
Mortham Tower
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Mortham Tower
- Mortham Tower, near Greta Bridge, is a Grade I listed fortified courtyard house and pele tower which dates from the reign of King Henry VII (1485-1509). The estate was the …
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Peel Tower
- "Peel towers (also spelt pele) are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch …

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Dunstan Hall

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Dunstan Hall
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Dunstan Hall
Old Vicarage
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Old Vicarage
- Overview Map Street View The former Vicarage and pele tower, is located next to the Church of the Holy Trinity in Embleton.  In 1332 Merton College, patron of Embleton, agreed to …
Shortflatt Tower
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Shortflatt Tower
- Overview Map Shortflatt Tower is a historic house and defensive tower in the civil parish of Belsay, and located close to Bolam, Northumberland. Originally built in 1257, permission to crenellate …
Burradon Tower
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Burradon Tower
- Overview About Burradon Tower Map Burradon Tower is a ruined Pele Tower (defensive tower) in Burradon, built during times of hostilities with Scotland. The Tower is a Grade II listed …
Hepburn Bastle
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Hepburn Bastle
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Pele Tower, Shilbottle
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Pele Tower, Shilbottle
- Overview Map Street View This former vicarage in Shilbottle incorporates a 15th century pele tower. The tower was heightened in 1863. The main part of the house, and outbuildings, were …
Dalden Tower
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Dalden Tower
- Overview Map Street View Dalden Tower, is located in Seaham in the Dean which runs to Dalton-le-Dale. The pele-tower is the most prominent part of the remains of what was …
Preston Tower
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Preston Tower
- Overview About Preston Tower Map Preston Tower is a 14th century pele tower in Preston, near Chathill, in Northumberland. The Tower is Grade II* listed on the National Heritage List …
Duddo Tower
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Duddo Tower
- Overview About Duddo Tower Map Street View The ruined tower near Duddo in Northumberland, is a former strong house built in the late 16th century. The south-west corner and parts …
Ludworth Tower
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Ludworth Tower
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Church of St Anne, Ancroft
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Church of St Anne, Ancroft
- Overview Map Street View St Anne's is the parish church of Ancroft. It was built by the monks of Holy Island, in the early Norman period, or possibly earlier. The …
Cockle Park Tower
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Cockle Park Tower
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Biddlestone Catholic Chapel
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Biddlestone Catholic Chapel
- This former Roman Catholic chapel in Biddlestone has an interesting history. It was originally a pele tower built in the 13th century; the ground floor has defensive walls, which are 6 …
Crawley Tower, near Powburn
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Crawley Tower, near Powburn
- Crawley Tower was built early in the 14th century with a licence to crenelate being granted in 1343.
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Doddington Bastle
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Parson's Tower, Ford
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Parson's Tower, Ford
- Overview Map Street View Parson's Tower in Ford, Northumberland, are the remains of a Medieval pele tower. It is located in a field south-west of Ford Castle and north-west of …
Tosson Tower
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Tosson Tower
- Overview Map Street View Tosson Tower is a ruined medieval tower house located in Great Tosson. It was the home of the Ogle family, who obtained lands at Tosson in …
Low Hall and Pele Tower
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Low Hall and Pele Tower
Dalton Castle
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Dalton Castle
- Overview About Dalton Castle Map Street View Dalton Castle is a large Pele tower in Dalton-in-Furness, which was first built in the mid-14th century, as a defence against border raids …
Isel Hall
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Isel Hall
- Overview About Isel Hall Map Street View   Isel Hall is an ancient Cumbrian residence that sits on a steep rise on the northern banks of the River Derwent, two …
Church of St John the Baptist, Newton Arlosh
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Church of St John the Baptist, Newton Arlosh
- Overview About St John the Evangelist's Church Map Street View St John's Church in Newton Arlosh was built in 1303 by the Monks of nearby Holm Cultram Abbey; the font …
Hutton John
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Hutton John
- Overview Map Street View Hutton John is a large fortified manor house, located near the hamlet of Hutton, about 5 miles south-west of Penrith in Cumbria. The manor house was …
Whitton Tower
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Whitton Tower
Arnside Tower
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Arnside Tower
- Overview About Arnside Tower Map Street View Arnside Tower is a late-medieval tower house located about half a mile south of the village of Arnside and a similar distance north-east …
Rose Castle
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Rose Castle
- Overview About Rose Castle Map Street View Rose Castle is a fortified house, located about 6 miles south-west of Carlisle and just over 2 miles south of Dalston in Cumbria. …
Centre of Britain Hotel
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Centre of Britain Hotel
- Overview Map Street View The Centre of Britain Hotel is located on Main street in Haltwhistle. It was previously known as the Red Lion Hotel. The hotel has a three storey …
Belsay Castle
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Belsay Castle
- Overview About Belsay Castle Map Street View Belsay Castle is a tower house built in c.1370, with an attached house added in 1614 (possibly around earlier core), by Thomas and Dorothy …
West Bitchfield
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West Bitchfield
- Overview About West Btichfield Tower Map   Bitchfield Tower or West Bitchfield Tower is a 15th-century medieval pele tower near Belsay, Northumberland, England. It is Grade I listed on the …
Millom Castle
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Millom Castle
- Overview About Millom Castle Map Street View About half a mile north of Millom town centre are the ruins of Millom Castle. The site was a moated manor house and …
Johnby Hall
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Johnby Hall
- Johnby Hall is a Tudor manor house built around a late 14th century pele tower. The building has thick pink sandstone rubble walls and has had various extensions and alterations …
Tarn House, Midgeholme
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Tarn House, Midgeholme
- Overview Map Tarn House is located by the south side of Tindale Tarn in Cumbria. The farmhouse dates from the late 15th century when it was built as a tower house …
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Howgill Castle, Milburn
- Overview About Howgill Castle Map Howgill Castle is a fortified manor house located about half a mile east of the village of Milburn in Cumbria. It was built in the 14th …
Craster Tower
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Craster Tower
- Overview About Craster Tower Map Street View Craster Tower is a country house, built in 1769, which incorporats a 14th century pele tower. The tower is located about half a …
Branthwaite Hall
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Branthwaite Hall
- Overview About Branthwaite Hall Map Street View Branthwaite Hall is located by about ½ mile north-east of the village of Branthwaite in Allerdale. The building incorporates a 14th/15th century pele …
Armathwaite Castle
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Armathwaite Castle
- Overview About Armathwaite Castle Map Street View Armathwaite Castle is a mid 15th century fortified house with later alerations, including 18th century extensions to make it into a substantial mansion. …
Yanwath Hall
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Yanwath Hall
- Overview Map Street View Yanwath Hall and farm is situated by the River Eamont to the north of the village of Yanwath in Cumbria. The hall incorporates a 14th century fortified …
Church of St Cuthbert, Great Salkeld
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Church of St Cuthbert, Great Salkeld
- Overview Map Street View St Cuthbert's Church in Great Salkeld was built in the 11th century. The red sandstone parish church is notable for it's fortified tower, which was added …
Kentmere Hall
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Kentmere Hall
- Overview Map Street View Kentmere Hall (now known as Pele Tower House) is located in the Kentmere valley to the west of St Cuthbert's Church. The pele tower dates from …
Killington Hall
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Killington Hall
- The pele tower, which had been ruinous for decades, was restored and is now available as luxury self-catering accommodation. The restoration work was completed in October 2019. Killington Hall (including the …
Ormside Hall
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Ormside Hall
- Overview Map Ormside Hall pele tower was built in the 14th century, and has been incorporated into the later 17th century hall. The hall is located to the north of …
Skelsmergh Hall
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Skelsmergh Hall
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