Monument record 1160/0/171 - The Tower

A building known as 'The Towre' is depicted on Speed's 1610 map of the town. It was located between Derngate and Cow Lane (now Swan Street). Apparently its barns were used as a powder works during the Civil War and it was used as a pest-house during the 1647 plague.

{1} Building shown and marked "Tower".

{2} Fieldname: Tower Close.

{3} Fieldname: Tower Close.

{4} Building originally flanked Derngate; when town extended on that side defensive tower was left remote from walls and buildings added to it. Large building with lofty square tower or keep at west end. It stood within walls in south-east quarter of town for system of defence of Anglo-Norman town. Close Rolls of 1218 mention repair. During plague of 1647 the Tower was used as a pest-house. It disappeared in the fire of 1675 but field was known for sometime as 'The Tower Close'; called as such on map of 1807 in 'Beauties of England and Wales'.

{5} Gunpowder works were apparently located in the barns of the Tower. Hooper's account records the 'curtain by the powder house'

<1> Speed J., 1610, Map of Northamptonshire, (checked) (Map). SNN559.

<2> Noble; Butlin, 1746, Town Map, (checked) (Map). SNN430.

<3> Roper; Cole, 1807, Map of The Town of Northampton, (checked) (Map). SNN621.

<4> Brown R.W., 1915, Journal of the Northampton History Society & Field Club, p.90-91 (checked) (Journal). SNN1314.

<5> Foard G.R., 1994, The Civil War Defences of Northampton, p. 16 (Article). SNN826.

Record last edited

Jun 2 2025 2:22PM