The Great Tower
THE GREAT TOWER, HIGH STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1130324
- Date first listed:
- 24-Oct-1951
- List Entry Name:
- The Great Tower
- Statutory Address:
- THE GREAT TOWER, HIGH STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2007-10-30
- Reference:
- IOE01/16929/19
- Rights:
- © Mr James Brown. Source: Historic England Archive
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Official list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1130324
- Date first listed:
- 24-Oct-1951
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 03-Jun-1983
- List Entry Name:
- The Great Tower
- Statutory Address 1:
- THE GREAT TOWER, HIGH STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- THE GREAT TOWER, HIGH STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Cambridgeshire
- District:
- Huntingdonshire (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Buckden
- National Grid Reference:
- TL 19252 67685
Details
BUCKDEN HIGH STREET TL 1867 (EAST SIDE) 5/25 THE GREAT TOWER 24.10.51 (FORMERLY LISTED AS PART OF BUCKDEN PALACE) GV I
Late C15 tower recently restored by the Claretian Mission. Red brick with burnt brick diapering and patterning. Limestone dressings. Three storeys with basement and four octagonal, embattled turrets at angles rising above the main parapet. Moulded string courses between floors; chamfered plinth. Windows of one, two, and three lights with cinquefoiled lights in square heads and moulded labels at ground and first floors, and basement. The doorway to the basement has an inner and outer arch, the doorway to the ground floor is approached by steps and has a four-centred arch and label. The interior has C20 inserted floors. North-east turret has a stone staircase, partly restored, with moulded stone hand-rail and stone newel. South-east turret has recesses for garderobes. The fireplace at ground floor has a four-centred arch. The first floor fireplace is C17 with moulded jambs, the second floor fireplace is plastered brick. Doorways to the turrets at each floor level have four-centred heads. Since Domesday the manor of Buckden had belonged to the Bishop of Lincoln until it was purchased by Sir Arthur Marshall (Marshall and Snelgrove) in late C19. The outer gateway and boundary wall, the inner gatehouse and curtain wall are remains of Buckden Palace built by Bishop John Iiilliams (1625-1642). The moat with the exception of the western arm was filled in and the medieval hall and great chamber were demolished by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners after 1838. Further demolitions were made by Mr James Marshall of the north wing of the inner gable house, and the medieval bridge. Queen Catherine of Aragon resided at the Palace in 1533 and 1534,AM. RCHM - Huntingdonshire, pp34-38 VCH - Huntingdonshire, p268 Pevsner - Buildings of England, p215 Inskip Ladds Collection. Norris Mus. St Ives A History of Buckden Palace, M Sweeny, 1981, p4 C.R.O. Huntingdon - Collection of photographs and prints
Listing NGR: TL1925267685
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 54294
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Sweeny, M, A History of Buckden Palace, (1981), 4
Inventory of Huntingdonshire, (1926), 34-38
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Cambridgeshire, (1954), 215
Page, W, Proby, G, The Victoria History of the County of Huntingdon, (1936), 268
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 06-Jun-2026 at 13:17:16.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.