Dalden Tower

Dalden Tower stands among the ruins of a once grand manor house in Dalton-le-Dale, County Durham. The Escolland family built it in the 12th century, and the Bowes family expanded it in the late 14th century. A pele tower was added in the 16th century by the Collingwood family. The site became a scheduled monument in 1968 and is grade II* listed. Excavations in the 1960s and 1980s uncovered parts of the hall and the moat. The tower’s history reflects the shifting power of local families over centuries. Sir Jordan de Dalden built a chapel around 1320, and the estate passed to the Bowes family by 1376. The Milbank family later owned it, and the tower fell into disrepair by the 17th century. Stones from the ruins were reused to build Dalden Hall, which collapsed in the 1960s. Visitors today see the remains of the pele tower and fragments of the hall. The surviving wall dates from the 17th or early 18th century. The site lies near the village of Dalton-le-Dale, surrounded by quiet countryside. The excavations revealed the layout of the moat and underground sections of the hall. The ruins stand as a quiet reminder of the tower’s past grandeur.