Alnham Tower, Alnham. Photo by Peter Ryder.

(NT 99021098) Tower. (1)

(Listed in the Survey of 1541. Not mentioned in the Survey of 1415. pp 12-20). (2)

'Near to the church are the ruins of an ancient well-built pile seemingly to have been a building of note, but, at present, claimed by the parson of the vicarage.' (3)

The vicarage lies to the west of the church. It is referred to as a little tower in 1541, and as ruinous in 1663, having fallen during the Commonwealth period. It was still in ruins in 1758 when the vicar lived at Ilderton.
The old tower was a fine specimen of 14th or 15th century work, with moulded base course, walls 9ft thick, and barrel-vaulted lower storey. The old window openings, which were unusually ornate, have been destroyed and the present ones, with the parapet and the adjoining modern wing all date from about 100 years ago, as the vicarage was still uninhabitable in 1828. (4)

The tower, composed of large wall dressed stones is correctly described except that the base course is not moulded but has a plain chamfer. The north-east wall and a portion of the north-west wall have been removed to enable extensions to be made to the building.
There are two storeys but no traces of an original access between them, or of an original entrance to the tower are now identifiable. See photograph.
The tower stands on the extreme west end of a promotory, and a ditch which extends across the promotory some 100 metres to the east (within Alnham Churchyard - NT 91 SE 4) may have served as an outer defence to it. (5)

Condition unchanged. (6)

Basically as described by authority 5. The thickness of the original wall is 1.7m and the barrel-vault mentioned by authority 4 has been rendered. A slight scarp in the field to about 30m to the north-east containing varying amounts of dressed stone may be the remains of an outer defence or barmkin. Published survey (1:2500) revised. (7)

Tower House, Grade II*. House, 14th century. First mention in 1405 and c.1840. Dressed stone and ashlar. Irregular. Two-storeys. Medieval tower on left with T-plan 19th century house attached to right. Tower has 19th century mullioned windows, 19th century battlements with corner turrets. Interior: tower has vaulted ground floor, walls 9ft thick.
Originally a 'vicar's pele'. Described as uninhabitable in 1821; in use again by 1844. Later used as Youth Hostel; now private house. (8)

The tower measures 11.7m east-west by 8.8m north-south and is built of good quality squared ashlar, laid in regular courses. The 19th century rebuilding of the upper sections is distinguishable by its less weathered appearance. and stippled tooling. The medieval masonry seems to extend up almost to parapet level on the west, but drops to first floor level at the east end. There is a hollow chamfered plinth, stepped down beneath the west window, that seems to be an original feature. A house of c.1840 adjoins the north part of the east end and east part of the north side.
The basement of the tower has a semi-circular barrel vault, all now plastered over, lit by 19th century windows in the centre of the west wall and near the east end of the south. The walls range from 1.7m to 2.1m in thickness. The basement is entered from the remainder of the house via a lobby at the north east corner. The lobby and a cupboard on its south side, appear to be a partitioned-off section of the main basement, as they seem to have the same vault. A round-headed opening in the east wall of the lobby, opening into the entrance hall of the house (plastered over) might represent an original feature, but a passage extending northwards from the lobby, cut in the thickness of the east wall, has a plastered segmental vault that may be ancient and seems more likely to represent the original entry. A taller flat-topped section at its north end would be where the original external doorway had been cut away.
At first floor level the walls are much thinner (c.0.7m) except for the south wall, which contains a window with a chamfered surround that looks like genuine medieval work (although it does not figure on Hodgson's sketch). All the other features at this level are of c.1840, as as is the parapet with its corbelled square bartizan at each corner.
It is difficult to make much comment on the original form of the tower; it is probably of 15th or early 16th century date. A north-south ditch, c.100m east of the tower, within the churchyard, has been interpreted as a possible outer defence to the tower. (9)

An important square tower to the left with the tudor-style 19th century house attached to right. Tower: 2 storeys with 2- and 1-light mullioned windows under floating cornices. Battlements with low, corbelled-out corner turrets. All of these details date from the 19th century restoration. The tower has walls 9 feet thick and a tunnel-vaulted ground floor.
The attached house is L-plan, 2 storeys and 2 bays. Immediately to the right of the tower a doorway with arched lintel under a slate pent roof on two moulded stone brackets. Projecting, gabled right bay has 3-light mullioned window on ground floor and similar 2-light window above. Gabled roofs with corniced ridge stacks, large moulded kneelers and ridged coping.
The windows and doors in the attached house are all 20th century replacements, but on the visible facades they are all within the original openings.
The tower was described as 'uninhabitable' in 1821, but was in use by 1844. It was the vicar's tower in medieval times. (10)

Listed by Cathcart King and by Dodds. (11a, 11b)