18/10/2026
Barden Tower is a ruined building in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire.
The tower was rebuilt as a hunting lodge by Henry Clifford, the Shepherd Lord, in the late 15th century, and he made it his principal residence. Despite a renovation in the 1650s, it fell into disrepair in the 18th century. The tower is now part of the Bolton Estate and is listed as a medieval fortified tower. Along with other buildings on the Bolton Estate, it is a focal point and many people visit the tower. It is also a way marker on the 100-mile (160 km) Lady Anne's Way long distance path.
Barden Tower was one of six forest lodges which were in the possession of the Clifford family between the 14th and 17th centuries. Clifford chose the area around Barden as his main residence over his castle at Skipton.
The tower, along with the chapel next to it and Skipton Castle, were renovated and rebuilt by Lady Anne Clifford in the 1650s. The tower had been "de-roofed" during the Civil War. It was in the 16th and 17th centuries that the outbuildings of a farmhouse and chapel were built next to the tower.
The priest house has been tentatively dated to 1513, and was reputedly built by Henry Clifford for his private chaplain when the Clifford household were in residence at the tower. After Lady Anne's death in 1676, the estates and Barden Tower were taken over by the Earls of Cork and fell into disrepair in the 18th century. The tower has been in a ruined state for over 200 years.
During the Jacobite rising of 1745, a band of militia were garrisoned at the tower to defend the area against the Scots army, should they so be needed. 150 men with pikes, staffs, halberts and drums were recorded as being present at the tower. Whilst the Jacobite Army did go through Yorkshire, there is no record of Barden Tower being involved in any skirmishes.
The second roof was made out of lead, and it was de-roofed again c. 1800, but the buildings were still the focal point for those who lived around it, which had become easier since the opening of Barden Bridge. All three historical buildings on the site were grade I listed in 1954.