Longthorpe Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Longthorpe Tower |
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| Longthorpe, England | |
Longthorpe Tower
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 Longthorpe Tower
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| Coordinates | 52°34′15″N 0°17′13″W / 52.5708°N 0.2869°W |
| Type | Tower |
| Site information | |
| Owner | English Heritage |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Intact |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Stone |
Longthorpe Tower is a special old building from the 1300s. It's a three-story tower in the village of Longthorpe, England. This tower is famous because it has some of the best-preserved medieval wall paintings in the country. These amazing artworks tell stories from a long time ago.
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Longthorpe Tower: A Glimpse into the Past
Longthorpe Tower is found in Longthorpe, which is now part of Peterborough in the United Kingdom. It's about 3 kilometers (2 miles) west of the city center. Back in the early 1300s, a man named Robert Thorpe built this tower. He added it to an older, fortified manor house that was already there.
Who Was Robert Thorpe?
Robert Thorpe became quite wealthy by working with the local Peterborough Abbey. Building a tall, impressive tower like this was a way for him to show off his success and importance. It was a bit like a "status symbol" back then. The tower has three floors. The first floor was designed to be Robert Thorpe's living space.
Amazing Medieval Wall Paintings
The most exciting thing about Longthorpe Tower is its incredible wall paintings. These were painted around the year 1330. They show different kinds of pictures, including religious scenes, everyday life, and moral lessons. Even though they were made in a smaller town, their quality is really good.
For a long time, these paintings were hidden. Around the time of the Reformation, in the 1500s, they were covered up with a white paint called whitewash. They stayed hidden for centuries until they were found again in the 1940s. A historian named Clive Rouse said that there's no other collection of paintings like these in England that is so complete and so old.
Protecting This Historic Site
Today, English Heritage owns Longthorpe Tower. This organization looks after many important historical places in England. The tower is also a "Grade I listed building". This means it's considered a very important historical building that needs special protection. It's also a "Scheduled Monument", which gives it even more legal protection. This helps make sure that this unique piece of history is kept safe for everyone to enjoy.
