The Morpeth Clock Tower, situated near Market Place in Morpeth, is an impressive structure with a height of 60 feet and walls measuring 3 feet 6 inches in thickness. Adjacent to the Morpeth Town Hall and the YMCA buildings, the tower is a Grade II* listed building.
Constructed between 1604 and 1634, the Clock Tower boasts a weathered appearance due to its use of recycled Medieval stone. While it was believed that the stone originated from a gatehouse at the west end of Oldgate, it is more likely that it was sourced from the nearby ruins of Newminster Abbey, which was dissolved in 1537.
In 1706, the tower acquired a set of six bells cast by renowned bell founder Richard Phelps from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. These bells were originally intended for the Parish Church of Berwick-upon-Tweed but were presented to the Corporation of Morpeth by Major General Edmund Maine, MP of Morpeth, after the people of Berwick failed to elect Maine as their member of parliament. This led to the local saying, "Berwick Bells are heard in Morpeth." The bells were restored and placed in a new cast iron frame in 1951 by John Taylor & Co to commemorate the Festival of Britain, as they had fallen into disrepair over the years.