What is recorded here
This green commemorative plaque records: Radcliffe Tower built approx 1403 The Tower was built by James de Radcliffe who, in 1403, ordered the construction of the Tower as part of an ambitious rebuilding of his manor house. Little is known about the manor house prior to that date, although excavations in 1979-80 by the Bury Archeological Group suggest that it stood on the site of the later buildings. Although the surviving Tower is now free-standing, when it was built it stood next to the timber framed great hall which projected to the west. The Tower had fallen into disuse and been converted to a farm building by 1700. The present gabled roof shape is a result of and dates from that agricultural use. Recorded plaque organisation: English Heritage.
Why this person mattered
James de Radcliffe, who commissioned the construction of Radcliffe Tower in 1403, was an influential local lord whose ambitious rebuilding project transformed his manor house into a significant landmark, reflecting the architectural trends and social status of late medieval England.
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