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Morpeth Clock Tower

Grade II* listed 60-foot tower dating from the early 17th century, built from recycled medieval stone believed to come from Newminster Abbey. Houses a peal of six bells cast in 1706 and has served as a gaol, meat store, and civic landmark over the centuries.

Oldgate, Morpeth, NE61 1PY

About Morpeth Clock Tower

The Morpeth Clock Tower is a free-standing tower in the centre of Morpeth, believed to have been built between around 1604 and 1634. It was constructed using recycled medieval stone, thought to have come from the nearby ruined Newminster Abbey, which was dissolved in 1537, giving the tower a far older appearance than its build date. In 1706 it acquired a peal of six bells cast by the bell founder Richard Phelps, funded by Major General Edmund Main, a Morpeth Member of Parliament. The bells had originally been intended for Berwick-upon-Tweed. A listed building of considerable historic interest, the tower remains one of Morpeth's best-known landmarks.

Featured in These Guides

Blog posts and guides that feature Morpeth Clock Tower.

Morpeth in World War Two

How the Northumberland market town lived through the Second World War, from the air gunners trained at RAF Morpeth to the Polish airmen who settled here and lie in St Mary's churchyard.

The Lost Buildings of Morpeth

From the medieval bridge that once carried the road north to a vanished cinema, a demolished Victorian villa and a Gothic gaol turned into flats, here are the Morpeth landmarks that time and the demolition men changed forever.

The History of Morpeth's Shopping Streets

How Bridge Street, Newgate Street, Oldgate and the Market Place grew from a medieval market town into the shopping quarter Morpeth knows today, still gathered around the Clock Tower.

Interesting Facts About Morpeth

From a name that means murder path to a suffragette's grave, a bagpipe museum in a medieval chapel and a curfew bell that still rings at eight, here are the stories that make Morpeth so distinctive.

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More Community in Morpeth

Morpeth Library

Public library housed within the Morpeth Sports and Leisure Centre, offering books, audiobooks, free Wi-Fi, public computers, printing, and regular events for children and adults. Part of Northumberland Libraries.

Morpeth Town Hall

Grade II listed town hall on the Market Place, originally designed by Vanbrugh in 1714. Home to Morpeth Town Council and a venue for civic events, meetings, and community functions. Stands beside the Grade II* listed Clock Tower.

Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum

Free museum in the 13th-century Chantry on Bridge Street, home to one of the finest collections of bagpipes in the world. Tells the story of Northumbrian smallpipes and border piping through instruments, music, and interactive displays.

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