Cresswell Castle

Cresswell Pele Tower stands on the Northumberland coast, four miles north of Ashington, overlooking the sea. Built in the 14th century as a defence against the Border Reivers, it is one of about eighty pele towers in the county. The three-storey stone tower was once connected to Cresswell Hall, now demolished, but its bricked-up front entrance remains nearby. The original entrance on the first floor has been blocked, and access to the living quarters is by a narrow, twisty staircase designed for defence. The ground floor was used for storage and could only be reached from above. The tower’s interior shows how people lived centuries ago. The first floor held a kitchen, living area, and garderobe, while the top floor was sleeping space, cold and damp without fireplaces. A faint inscription near the stairs is said to read “William Cresswell brave hero.” In the 18th century a mansion was added to the tower but demolished in the 19th, leaving only its doorway built into a field wall. After a long period of neglect, the tower was restored and removed from the Heritage at Risk register in 2021. Local legend tells of a Danish prince killed by the Cresswells’ sons, whose sister died of grief and now appears as a white lady on the roof. The tower’s parapet offers views of the coast, and the surrounding fields hold traces of its past connections. The narrow stair and blocked doorways remain as they were when the tower stood guard against raiders. The site is a quiet reminder of Northumberland’s turbulent history and the lives once lived within its walls.