Preston Tower (Old)

Description

This information is taken from the statutory List as it was in 2001 and may not be up to date.

ELLINGHAM PRESTON NU 12 NE 11/161 Preston Tower (old) 22.12.69 GV II* Part of tower house. C14 restored 1864 by Henry Robert Baker Cresswell.

Squared stone with Welsh slate roof. The remains include the south wall and 2 southern corner turrets of a larger hall-type tower house with 4 towers (cf.

Haughton Castle and Langley Castle). The rear wall is of 1864.

3 storeys. Chamfered plinth. Recessed centre flanked by projecting turrets.

In the centre a boarded door in C16, or C17 chamfered surround. 2 slit windows with chamfered surrounds above door. 4 similar windows in turret to left, 3 in turret to right. On 2nd floor in centre, a large clock with ceramic face inscribed H R B C for the restorer. Embattled parapet. Higher turrets have rounded corbels below parapets.

On left return a blocked, low, narrow C14 doorway with pointed arch and chamfered surround.

To rear, similar clock face dated 1864.

Interior: springing of ground-floor vault visible. The turrets have pointed tunnel-vaulted chambers on each floor. Also in turrets 3 C16 or C17 fireplaces with chamfered surrounds; one has a lintel, with keystone. Many mason's marks.

C14 doorways into turret rooms have pointed arches and chamfered surrounds.

Listing NGR: NU1837125432

Content

This is part of the Series: IOE01/0283 IOE Records taken by Don Brownlow; within the Collection: IOE01 Images Of England

Rights

© Mr Don Brownlow. Source: Historic England Archive

This photograph was taken for the Images of England project