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Arnside Tower is a late-medieval peel towerDefensive tower built on both sides of the border between England and Scotland from the mid-14th century until about 1600. between Arnside and Silverdale, immediately to the south of Arnside Knott in Cumbria, England. Probably built some time during the 15th century, it has been designated a Grade II* listed buildingStructure of particular architectural and/or historic interest deserving of special protection. and a Scheduled Monument.[1][2]
Constructed of limestone rubble, the tower was originally five storeys high, with a floor plan measuring 50 feet (15 m) by 34 feet (10 m). It was built with an adjacent wing of equal height built onto the side of the tower in a style common in Scotland, but rare in English tower houses.[3] It is also unusual for the area in being a freestanding tower without a hall block.[1] The historian Anthony Emery has suggested that the design may have been influenced by that of Ashby de la Zouch Castle in Leicestershire, which was rebuilt in 1464 by Lord Hastings.[4]
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The tower suffered a serious fire in 1602, but its occupation resumed after repairs had been completed, probably by the middle of the century.[1] The historian Anthony Emery believes that the tower remained in use until the end of the 17th century, but his fellow historian Roy Palmer states that William Coward and his sister Agnes Wheeler were in occupation at the end of the 18th century.[5]
One wall of the tower collapsed in about 1900, and Arnside Tower is now ruinous.[1] As at 2023, English Heritage have assessed its condition as “very bad”.[6]