Chathill: Building History and Architecture

When looking for a hotel for a stay in Chathill, you can first consider which themes you would like to shape your trip. The history of architecture and culture offers various perspectives: a medieval tower house, the long history of a church site, and architecture from the railway era. The following examples differ both in when they were built and in the structures that have been preserved.

Preston Tower and its different building phases

Preston Tower (old) is part of a 14th-century tower house that was restored in 1864. The south wall and two southern corner towers of a larger, hall-like tower house have been preserved. This account thus brings together a medieval building and clearly identified remnants of its architecture. The restoration belongs to a later phase in the tower house’s history.

Preston Tower (New) is a separate, distinct building: the house was built around 1805 for Edmund Craster. East Lodge and the gate to Preston Tower date from 1866. The dates make it possible to trace the sequence of the building phases described—from the medieval tower house, through the house built around 1805, to the lodge and gate from the second half of the 19th century.

St Maurice Ellingham: Site and Present-Day Church

At St Maurice Ellingham, the history of the church site goes back at least to 1150, and possibly even further. The present-day church building dates from 1862 and is in the Early English style.

Another architectural detail can be found in the churchyard. Three sandstone pinnacles from the church tower built in 1805 stand there. Pinnacles are slender, tapering architectural features; here, their number, material, and origin provide a specific link to the earlier architecture of the church tower. This means that, alongside the present-day church building, a feature from an earlier building phase can also be considered.

Chathill Station and Signal Box

Railway architecture also includes several elements from distinguishable periods. Chathill Station was built around 1847 by Benjamin Green for the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. The signal box at the station is a two-storey building from the late 19th century. Its upper floor has continuous glazing with small-paned fixed windows.

The station and signal box thus represent different building functions and periods of construction: the station dates from the mid-19th century, while the signal box was built later. The description of the upper floor gives the signal box a readily identifiable architectural feature, without conflating it with the older station building.

Places to Visit and Things to Do in the Region

Preston Tower is open to visitors, and private events can also be held there. If you include the tower in your travel plans, you can consider it both as a historic building and as an event venue. These are different possibilities: a visit is intended for individual visitors, while private events provide a separate occasion.

As a regional activity option, Boards and Bikes offers equipment and activities on the Northumberland coast. Its offerings include bicycles, kayaks, wetsuits, surfboards, and other equipment; the provider delivers equipment to customers. If your travel plans also include activities on the Northumberland coast, this offers a different perspective from the historic buildings and their construction phases.

These themes can help guide your travel plans without needing to share the same character.

Discover more destinations: Slaley, Belford, Ilderton, Felton, Greenhaugh, Shilbottle, Craster, North Sunderland

For the broader travel overview: Northumberland.