Morden Tower

The Morden Tower stands on the West Walls of Newcastle upon Tyne, built into the old medieval town wall. It is one of only five Drum towers left from the sixteen that once guarded the city. The tower slopes down towards the south, where the Dominican Blackfriars’ precinct once stood. From the 16th century it housed the Company of Plumbers, Plasterers and Glaziers. Today it remains a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building. The tower became a centre for poetry in 1964 when Tom and Connie Pickard took over the lease. It drew major British and American writers, especially Beat and Black Mountain poets. Basil Bunting gave the first reading of *Briggflatts* there in 1965. Other visitors included Allen Ginsberg, Ted Hughes, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Seamus Heaney. The small upper room is still praised as an ideal place for spoken poetry. Inside, the tower’s upper space hosts readings and performances. The walls hold a collection of rare books and pamphlets from Edinburgh, Paris and beyond. Experimental musicians have also played there, from Alan Hull of Lindisfarne to John Power of Maxïmo Park. The tower remains a quiet but influential spot for new writing and music.