Scheduled Monuments›England›Clifton Hall tower

Clifton Hall tower

England
List entry 1008634
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1008634
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.08 hectares
Grid reference
NY 53074 27113
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Clifton Hall tower is a pele tower located near Penrith in Westmorland, dating to the late medieval period. The structure represents the defensive architecture typical of the Anglo-Scottish borderlands, where such fortified towers provided protection for substantial residences during the period of cross-border raids. The tower survives as a stone-built structure characteristic of pele tower construction, with the robust masonry and compact design required for effective defence. As a listed monument, Clifton Hall tower remains an important example of late medieval military and domestic architecture in the northern English border region.

Clifton Hall tower is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1008634. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Clifton Hall tower?

Clifton Hall tower is a pele tower located near Penrith in Westmorland, dating to the late medieval period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1008634.

Who is responsible for protecting Clifton Hall tower?

Clifton Hall tower is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1008634.

What other scheduled monuments are near Clifton Hall tower?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bridge over Heltondale Beck 250yds (230m) SSW of Widewath (7 km), Round cairn 680m ENE of Dalefoot (7.4 km), Bowl barrow 80m east of Scarside Plantation (7.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Clifton Hall tower

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Clifton Hall tower's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Bridge over Heltondale Beck 250yds (230m) SSW of Widewath
7 km
Round cairn 680m ENE of Dalefoot
7.4 km
Bowl barrow 80m east of Scarside Plantation
7.6 km
Round barrow 150m east of Scarside Plantation
7.7 km
Ring cairn on Knipescar Common
7.8 km
Slight univallate hillfort in Scarside Plantation
7.8 km
Round cairn 490m ENE of Rough Hill Tarn
8.2 km
Ring cairn on Knipescar Common south of Inscar Plantation
8.2 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Clifton Hall tower

Clifton Hall tower stands on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

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