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

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

The opening of King Charles’ Tower is part of Heritage Open Days 2022 - 9th-18th September - England’s largest festival of history and culture where each September thousands of volunteers across England organise events to celebrate history and culture.

Visitors will be able to tour the two-storey tower free of charge, courtesy of volunteers from Cheshire Historic Buildings Preservation Trust (CHBPT) and learn more about its fascinating history and restoration in 2013. Mike Graham, English Civil War Re-enactor will be returning to entertain visitors and enrich the experience on Saturday as he did last weekend.

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 built on the Roman section of the Walls. 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.

Tony Barton, Chair of Trustees for CHBPT said: “We had over 400 visitors go round the two floors of the Tower last weekend and leave generous donations for the work of CHBPT. This is probably the first time the Tower has been open to the public for over four years. Mike Graham was a fantastic addition for visitors and the children loved him, he really brought some of the history of the Tower to life.”

Jane Harrad-Roberts, a Trustee at CHBPT added; “Many visitors thought we’d opened the Tower to honour the new King Charles III but it was coincidental. However, if he or Prince William the new Earl of Chester choose to visit soon, I’m sure we can open the Tower again for them.” 

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

More information: 

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

And here: 

http://www.cheshirehistoricbuildings.org

Cheshire Historic Buildings Preservation Trust

The Cheshire 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.

More information at:

http://www.cheshirehistoricbuildings.org

Pictured - Mike Graham at King Charles Tower.