Morpeth Clock Tower facts for kids
The Morpeth Clock Tower is a very famous building in Morpeth. It stands tall at 60 feet, which is about the height of a six-story building! Its walls are super thick, about 3 and a half feet wide. You can find it near the Market Place in the town center. Even though it's old, it's now surrounded by newer buildings like the Town Hall and the YMCA.
Contents
History of the Clock Tower
Building the Tower
The Clock Tower was built a long time ago, sometime between 1604 and 1634. It was made using old stones from Medieval buildings, which makes it look even older than it is! People think the stones might have come from a gatehouse that used to be in the town. However, it's more likely they came from the nearby Newminster Abbey. This abbey was closed down in 1537.
What the Tower Was Used For
Over the years, the Clock Tower has had many different jobs. For a while, it was even a prison until 1802! It was also used as a place to store meat.
The Famous Bells
In 1706, the tower got a set of six bells. These bells were made by a famous bell maker named Richard Phelps. A local politician, Major General Edmund Maine, who was a MP for Morpeth, asked for them.
These bells were actually first meant for a church in Berwick-upon-Tweed. But the people of Berwick didn't vote for Major General Maine in an earlier election. When he was successfully elected as the MP for Morpeth, he gave the bells to the town of Morpeth instead! This is why there's a funny local saying: "Berwick Bells are heard in Morpeth."
To make room for the bells, a new top floor, called a belfry, was added in 1706. By the early 1900s, the bells were old and needed fixing. So, in 1951, they were remade and put into a new metal frame. This was done to celebrate the Festival of Britain.
Cool Facts About the Tower
- Special Building Status: The Clock Tower is a "Grade II* listed building." This means it's a very important historic building that needs to be protected. It's also a "Scheduled Ancient Monument," which is another way of saying it's a really old and important site.
- Oldest Bells: It has the oldest original set of town bells in the entire United Kingdom.
- Unique Tower: This tower is one of only eight clock towers in England that were never connected to a church. It's always been a town building.
- Curfew Tradition: For over 300 years, the bells have chimed at 8:00 PM every night. This is a tradition called the "curfew," which used to tell people to go home for the night.
