Scheduled Monuments›England›Parson's Tower

Parson's Tower

England
List entry 1018372
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1018372
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.02 hectares
Grid reference
NT 94386 37423
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Parson's Tower is a defensive pele tower located in Northumberland, England. The tower dates from the medieval period and represents the type of fortified residential structure commonly built in the Anglo-Scottish border region during the later Middle Ages, when such fortifications provided protection against raids and lawlessness. The tower exhibits the characteristic compact, heavily built form typical of pele towers, with thick walls designed to withstand attack. Such structures served both domestic and defensive purposes for local families of means during the turbulent border period.

Parson's Tower is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1018372. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Parson's Tower?

Parson's Tower is a defensive pele tower located in Northumberland, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1018372.

Who is responsible for protecting Parson's Tower?

Parson's 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 1018372.

What other scheduled monuments are near Parson's Tower?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bronze Age unenclosed hut circle settlement, field system and cairnfield, 630m south west of triangulation point on Gains Law (9.6 km), Cairnfield 420m south east of triangulation point on Gains Law (9.6 km), Prehistoric unenclosed hut circle settlement, field system and cairnfield 340m south west of triangulation point on Gains Law (9.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Parson's Tower

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Parson's 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

Bronze Age unenclosed hut circle settlement, field system and cairnfield, 630m south west of triangulation point on Gains Law
9.6 km
Cairnfield 420m south east of triangulation point on Gains Law
9.6 km
Prehistoric unenclosed hut circle settlement, field system and cairnfield 340m south west of triangulation point on Gains Law
9.6 km
Hut circle 770m south east of White Gables
9.7 km
Roman period native homestead 400m south of Humbleton Hill hillfort
9.7 km
Round cairn 760m south east of triangulation point on Gains Law
9.7 km
Romano-British farmstead and part of an associated field system 630m south west of White Gables
9.8 km
Two pillboxes near Green Castle
10.2 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Parson's Tower

Parson's Tower stands on Border Group, bedrock that formed in the Meramecian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate argillaceous rocks and limestone.

The wider landscape

Around Parson's Tower

Battle of Flodden 1513Battle (1513) · ~3.3 milesBattle of Homildon Hill 1402Battle (1402) · ~5.6 milesThe Site of The Battle of Halidon Hill 1333Battle (1333) · ~11.5 miles
All Scheduled Monuments