Fenwick Tower

Fenwick Tower stands in the quiet countryside of Northumberland, near the village of Matfen. It began as a 12th-century tower house built for the Fenwick family, who lived there for four centuries. In 1378 John Fenwick received permission to fortify the house with battlements. By the late 18th century the tower had been mostly pulled down to make way for a farmhouse. During its demolition workers uncovered a cache of medieval gold coins buried in the ground. The remains of the old tower were kept and built into the new farmhouse, which still stands today. The structure is now protected as a Grade II listed building, preserving its historic fabric. In 2010 human bones were found close to a cottage in the hamlet called Fenwick Towers. Tests showed the bones probably date from the 13th or 14th century, adding another layer to the site’s past. Visitors to Fenwick Tower see the low ruins of the medieval tower set within a 17th-century farmhouse. The farmhouse walls still show the older stonework where the tower once rose. The surrounding fields stretch out across gentle Northumberland countryside. The hamlet itself is small and peaceful, with few modern intrusions. The site offers a quiet place to reflect on centuries of history in a rural setting.