Category Archives: Castles & Fortified Towers
Liverpool Castle Replica, Rivington, near Horwich
Lord Leverhulme commissioned a replica of Liverpool Castle to be built on his Rivington estate of Lever Park, near Horwich. He had read a work about the original castle by E.W. Cox written in 1892. The description of the Liverpool castle site struck him as … Continue reading
Liverpool’s Lost Castle
The site of Liverpool Castle is clearly marked by a plaque on the Queen Victoria Monument in present day Derby Square. There are no standing remains of this medieval fortress. However, it had a rich and interesting history and if you are prepared to … Continue reading
Broughton Tower, Broughton near Preston
Broughton Tower itself no longer stands, but surprisingly much of its moat remains at the site of this once fortified place. We’ll say a little more about how to see it (and it is quite extensive), but first a little history… The tower was … Continue reading
Turton Tower, Chapeltown, Near Bolton
In the early 1400s a Pele tower was built on a high commanding spot in Turton. It was a three story rectangular defendable structure, with four foot thick walls and narrow windows. This was a turbulent time with the possibility of raiders coming down … Continue reading
Dalton Castle, Dalton in Furness
Dalton Castle is a 14th century Pele tower and was owned by the abbot of Furness Abbey. From here he would administer the law in the region of the Lordship of Furness, Lancashire North of the Sands. There would have been … Continue reading
Radcliffe Tower, Radcliffe near Bury
After the Norman Conquest of England, Nicholas FitzGilbert de Tabois was given confiscated Saxon manor land in the present day Radcliffe area. He took the name ‘de Radclyffe’ (which means of Radcliffe) and his descendants continued to live in the area for hundreds of years. They … Continue reading
Bury Castle, Bury
In 1469 Thomas Pilkington received a ‘license to crenellate’ from the king, which gave him permission to fortify his manor house. He built the structure that we know today as Bury Castle. It had castle like features- a moat, an … Continue reading
Penwortham Castle, near Preston
The motte of Penwortham Castle is a huge artificial mound, built by the Normans soon after their conquest of northern England. The wooden castle that stood here and lasted nearly two hundred years is long gone, but the site and the motte are well worth … Continue reading
Clitheroe Castle, Clitheroe, Ribble Valley
A castle may have existed in Clitheroe since 1102, predating the present one. This was a time of much strife in Lancashire-King William II and King Henry I (the sons of William the Conqueror), had to contend with not only keeping the native Saxons … Continue reading
