Prospect Tower and Attached Wing is a Grade II* listed building in the Staffordshire Moorlands local planning authority area, England. First listed on 20 November 1987. A 19th century Tower.

Prospect Tower and Attached Wing

WRENN ID
fallow-mullion-lichen
Grade
II*
Local Planning Authority
Staffordshire Moorlands
Constituency
Staffordshire Moorlands MP: Dame Karen Bradley (Con)
Country
England
Date first listed
20 November 1987
Type
Tower
Period
19th century
Address
Prospect Tower and Attached Wing, Biddulph
OS grid reference
SJ 896 553
Coordinates
53.09519, -2.15561
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

Prospect Tower, dated 1828, is a notable structure located in Knypersley, Biddulph. It is built from coursed stone with rock-faced quoins and features a flat roof that is hidden behind a parapet. The tower is accentuated by a large chimney, which was originally designed with three diagonally-set shafts, of which two still remain. The octagonal tower consists of three stages resting on a battered plinth, with the first stage marked by a string course and a machicolated parapet that was once crenellated.

The tower has round-arch mullioned two-light windows with labelled chamfered, deep reveals on the first and second stages, and a similar single-light window at the top stage, which also displays a labelled datestone on its north-east face. The entrance is located on the east side. The plinth extends to the south, connecting to a short single-storey link to an attached wing that formerly had a corbelled parapet. This wing features three labelled one- and two-light windows that are similar to those on the tower.

Historically, the tower is significant as it marks the beginning of John Bateman's landscaping efforts, which he initiated at his father's house, Knypersley Hall, before progressing to Biddulph Grange, completed in the 1860s. The design of the tower shows influences from Clytha Castle in Gwent, transforming an idyllic style into a more rugged picturesque form, reflective of developments in the 19th century.

Local climate

Prospect Tower and Attached Wing receives an average of 910 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 69% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 52% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 45 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 87% of listed buildings. Of these, 25 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Knypersley Mill Grade II 583 m
  2. Lower Stone House Farmhouse Grade II 1.2 km
  3. Squirrel Hayes Lodge Grade II 1.2 km
  4. Barn and Stable Ranges at Bemersley Farm Grade II 1.5 km
  5. Coach house to north of Church of St Anne Grade II 1.5 km
  6. Boardmans Bank Farmhouse Grade II 1.5 km
  7. Church of St Anne Grade II 1.6 km
  8. Knypersley Hall Grade II* 1.6 km
  9. Stables, Coach Houses Including Coachman's Cottage and Lodge North of Knypersley Hall Grade II 1.6 km
  10. Crowborough Farmhouse Grade II 1.7 km