After 700 years in the care of the Duke of Northumberland, one of Corbridge’s flagship historic monuments, Pele Tower, has been sold and the new owners have commissioned restoration specialists MGM Ltd, part of the Northern Bear group of companies, to sympathetically convert the tower into a unique special occasion venue.
The tower, next to St Andrew’s Church in the heart of Corbridge, was built in 1319. Used as a vicarage until the early 17th century and sometimes referred to as the Vicar’s Pele, the fortified structure was most recently a craft and exhibition space for local artists.
The three-storey Grade I listed building contains many original features, including a stone fireplace and a 700-year-old toilet. It was restored with a gabled roof in 1910 by the seventh Duke of Northumberland. However, with no water supply or heating installed, the scope to use the building has been limited.
The new owners, working very closely MGM, English Heritage and local planning hope to breathe new life into the building, whilst restoring and maintaining as many original features as possible.
