Fowberry Tower is a historic Grade II listed mansion house, located alongside the River Till. Originally owned by the Fowberry family for over four centuries, their 16th-century tower house was built incorporating remnants of an original Pele tower, a type of fortified keep commonly found along the English-Scottish borders.
About Fowberry
In the late 16th century, Roger Fowberry mortgaged the estate to his neighbour William Strother of Kirknewton. Despite subsequent legal disputes about the debt, in 1591 his son had to transfer ownership to Lancelot Strother. An alternative account claims that gambling led to the loss of the entire estate and that troubled members of the original Fowberry family continue to make their presence known to visitors in the most ghostly of manners.
The Strothers built a new manor house on the site around 1666 and in 1776 John Strother Kerr sold the estate and house to Sir Francis Blake. Under Sir Francis Blake's ownership, significant renovations took place including Strawberry Hill Gothic style interiors which became notable within architectural circles. The property underwent expansion under architect James Nesbit from Kelso introducing false windows enhancing aesthetics while avoiding taxation burdens associated with real window counts during that time.
Following ownership by Matthew Culley, whose lineage included renowned agriculturalist George Culley, it was taken over by the Leather Culley family including George Culley who was High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1867.
If you have any insights about the history of our estate, we’d love to hear from you!
