Preston Tower

Preston Tower is a Grade II* listed historic house in Northumberland, and a member of Historic Houses. Read about its history, architecture and gardens, plus how to visit and what's nearby.

About Preston Tower

Preston Tower is a Grade II* pele tower near Chathill in Northumberland, built in 1392 as a lookout and refuge against Scottish border raids.

It stands within the grounds of a working estate and operates as a visitor attraction and events venue.

The tower is open year round.

Its thick stone walls and narrow stair give a clear sense of the defensive thinking behind border towers of this kind.

History of Preston Tower

Pele towers like Preston were built across the Anglo-Scottish border in the late medieval period, giving local families and their livestock somewhere to shelter during raids from the north. Preston Tower dates from 1392 and has remained in private hands into the present day, latterly developed alongside the surrounding estate as a heritage and events site.

Architecture of Preston Tower

The tower follows the standard pele design: thick rubble stone walls, a vaulted ground floor originally used for storage or livestock, and upper floors reached by a narrow stair, built for defence rather than comfort.

Gardens & grounds at Preston Tower

The grounds around the tower have been developed as a garden wedding venue, set in open Northumbrian countryside.

Facilities

Parking Picnic area Cycle parking

Plan your visit to Preston Tower

Official site Google Maps Waze

Nearest station: Chathill Rail Station (1 miles)

Open every day of the year; check official website for seasonal hours.

Places to visit near Preston Tower

Dunstanburgh Castle

castle 5.1 miles

Visit Dunstanburgh Castle View Dunstanburgh Castle on heritage map

Craster Tower

historic house 5.5 miles

View Craster Tower on heritage map

Bamburgh Castle

castle 6.0 miles

Visit Bamburgh Castle View Bamburgh Castle on heritage map

Budle Hall

historic house 6.2 miles

View Budle Hall on heritage map

Alnwick Castle

castle 7.4 miles

Visit Alnwick Castle View Alnwick Castle on heritage map

Historic places nearby

Within 10 miles of Preston Tower there are 8 historic properties, including 4 castles and 3 historic houses, across Historic Houses, English Heritage and National Trust sites.

6 Historic Houses

1 English Heritage

1 National Trust

4 Castle

3 Historic house

1 Historic site

See these 8 sites on the heritage map

Within 20 miles of Preston Tower there are 17 historic properties, including 7 castles, 5 historic buildings and 4 historic houses, across English Heritage, Historic Houses and National Trust sites.

7 English Heritage

7 Historic Houses

3 National Trust

7 Castle

5 Historic building

4 Historic house