Addleshaw Tower

Addleshaw Tower

Addleshaw Tower stands in the south-east corner of Chester Cathedral churchyard. It is square in plan with a rocket-shaped elevation and rises to a height of 85 feet.

The tower is constructed on bored pile foundations, necessitated by the presence of an old burial ground and sandstone bedrock near the surface. Its base is built from local pink sandstone with chamfered corners. The base features a deeply recessed, full-height window with angled jambs and abstract Dalle de Verre glass to three sides, flanked by smaller paired multipaned metal windows. The three Dalle de Verre windows each incorporate small circular stained glass motifs in blue (north-west window), red and orange (north-east window), and green (south-east window). The main entrance is set to the south-west side of the base, consisting of a deeply recessed doorway with angled jambs and timber double doors clad externally with metal plates of various sizes decorated with a leaf print. Behind these are timber inner double doors in red with pierced panels covered by mesh. To the left of the entrance is a large slate inscribed "THE ADDLESHAW TOWER / The Cathedral bells were re-hung in this Tower in 1975 / G.W.O. Addleshaw. Dean. 1963-77". The foundation stone, located to the north-west side, bears stylised carved lettering reading "LAID. BY / VISCOUNT. LEVERHULME / LORD. LIEUTENANT. OF. CHESHIRE / SATURDAY. 16. JUNE. 1973 / GERALD. ELLISON. BISHOP. OF. CHESTER / GEORGE. ADDLESHAW. DEAN. OF. CHESTER".

The upper part of the tower is covered by a timber frame hung externally with small Welsh Bethesda slates. Directly above the tower base is a reinforced concrete overhang clad in metal, from which the tower rises with inclined sides. A band of small square multipaned windows runs around all four sides, lighting the Ringing Chamber. The remaining upper section tapers more gently and is capped by a pyramidal roof. The belfry is expressed as a band of small louvred windows set below the eaves.

The interior is structured around a reinforced concrete frame stiffened against the bells' ringing forces by panels of mellow red brickwork, visible on each floor. The ground floor contains a meeting room within the tower's base, with a later inserted kitchenette in the south corner and toilets to the west and north corners. A metal and timber spiral stair, enclosed by evenly spaced vertical timber planks to allow light from the north-east Dalle de Verre window, rises from in front of this window and leads to the almost double-height Ringing Chamber above. The Ringing Chamber is lit by high-level windows and has bench seating along the north-west wall. The bell ropes are arranged in a circular pattern, reflecting the arrangement of the bells, and the reinforced concrete wall sections, originally bare, have been painted. Older tablets commemorating peals rung by the Guild adorn the south-west wall of the chamber. A metal ladder stair set to the east corner accesses the Sound Chamber above and the Belfry at the top of the tower. The Belfry contains a ring of 12 bells with an additional flat sixth, which can be used instead of the normal number six bell.