Chester City Walls King Charles’ Tower open to the public this weekend

This and next weekend walkers around Chester City Walls will be able to venture into King Charles' Tower, a rare treat.

This and next weekend 10th and 11th, 17th and 18th September, between 10am and 4pm, walkers around Chester City Walls will be able to venture into King Charles' Tower.

This Grade I listed tower stands on the North-East corner of the city walls over-looking the canal. Parts of the tower date back to the 13^th Century. It is called King Charles' Tower because on the 24th of September 1645, King Charles stood on the tower and watched his army that was defeated in the battle of Rowton Moor earlier in the day, return towards the City.

The Inscription above the door reads: 'King Charles Stood on this Tower Sept. 24 1645. And saw his army defeated on Rowton Moor' however you can’t see Rowton Moor from the tower.

Visitors will be able to tour the two-storey tower free of charge, courtesy of volunteers from Chester Historic Buildings Preservation Trust (CHBPT) and learn more about its fascinating history and restoration in 2013.

Tony Barton, Chair of Trustees for CHBPT said: “We are delighted to be able to show members of the public round the tower these weekends and look forward to them especially enjoying the motion activated talking history of the tower that we have installed.”

He added; “Back in 2013 Donald Insall Associates completed the tower’s restoration in partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council, who did well to secure funding from the European PORTICO project, so that there was no cost to the tax payer in carrying out this work.”

Visitors will be asked for a voluntary donation to the work of Chester Historic Buildings Preservation Trust.

More information: 

https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/visiting/event/king-charles-tower

The Chester Historic Buildings Preservation Trust Limited (CHBPT) was formed in 1981 with the active support and encouragement of the Chester Civic Trust. CHBPT is a private company, limited by guarantee, and registered as a charity, number: 1185743.

Often described as ‘the agents of last resort’, building preservation trusts exist across the country to save listed buildings and local landmarks from terminal decline.

CHBPT’s remit covers a wide range of properties in various stages of disrepair, but in order to qualify for grants and take advantage of low-interest loans from the Architectural Heritage Fund, the building or structure has to be special and its restoration has to be commercially unviable. In other words, we tend to take on only the desperate cases.

In 2013 the Trust was reformed to cover a wider geographical area as ‘The Cheshire Historic Buildings Preservation Trust’ to include Wirral, Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East, Halton and Warrington.

The Directors of the Trust are all volunteers. Some are professionally qualified as architects, engineers, quantity surveyors or conservation officers; others are enthusiastic lay members, but all share a deep personal commitment to the built environment and to Cheshire’s unique architectural heritage.