Kirkhead Tower

Kents Bank: 8^th February 2015

I took a short walk up the hill from the hotel in Kents Bank, where we were staying, to see if I could get a good view of Morecambe Bay and the Kent Estuary. I spotted a castle-like tower at the top of the hill, which first inquiries told me was Wraysholme Tower, and old 15^th Century ‘pele tower’. These are quite common in the north of England, and were raised in more troubled times to protect livestock from marauding ‘reivers’

Subsequent inquiries proved my informant mistaken. Wraysholme Tower is some distance away; this one is called Kirkhead Tower. It first appeared on a map dated 1826, and is believed to have been a summer house, built sometime in the 18^th Century. It’s said to have been built on the site of the first parish church in the area, which predated even the nearby Cartmel Priory.

Be advised, though, that there is no public access to either tower … in fact, from my researches, I got the impression that the rule in both cases was ‘Trespassers will be shot; survivors will be prosecuted’.

But, having got as close as I could to Kirkhead Tower, I met a man walking a dog coming out of the field. He confirmed that it wasn’t a public right of way, but all the local people walk there, and nobody seems to mind. So, I walked across the field to enjoy a great panorama, as well as a close up view of the tower.

Mr. Wraysholme and his tower can wait for another day!