Radcliffe Tower

Radcliffe Tower stands in Radcliffe, a former market town now part of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury in Greater Manchester. It is the last remnant of a manor house rebuilt in 1403 by James de Radcliffe, who fortified the site with royal permission. The tower measures about nine metres by seventeen metres and survives to a height of roughly six metres. Once part of a larger stone hall, it now stands alone after the rest of the manor was demolished in the 19th century. The remains are owned by Bury Council and once served as a pigsty before restoration began. It lies about three kilometres south of Bury Castle, a late 15th-century moated manor house. The tower is recognised as a scheduled monument and a Grade I listed building, marking its national importance. Plans to restore the shell were launched in 2009 as part of a wider project covering nearby Radcliffe E’es, Close Park, and St Mary’s parish church. Archaeological work funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund since 2012 has uncovered medieval glazed floor tiles, roof tiles, and 15th-century pottery. These finds confirm the tower’s medieval origins and the high status of its original owners. The excavations also help piece together the layout of the lost manor house. Visitors find a modest but dignified stone tower standing in a quiet corner of the town. The surrounding area includes Close Park and the parish church of St Mary, both part of the restoration scheme. The tower’s plain walls and simple crenellations recall its fortified past. Nearby Bury Castle offers a contrasting view of a moated manor from the same era. The site is easy to reach and sits within a landscape shaped by centuries of local history.