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By the early 15th century, the corporation was using the Tower as a court hall – in 1421, all offenders were ordered to attend here on pain of a fine of 12 pence. However, in 1430 the Tower was leased to one John de Ypres (hence the name). He probably used it as a private residence, together with an adjoining building since destroyed. In 1484 or 1494 it was leased back to the Corporation, who bought the freehold for £26 in 1518. It was used as the town’s prison until 1865, and then as a police lock-up until 1891. After that it was used as a mortuary until 1959. Ypres Tower is built on three floors, and originally there was also a parapet behind the battlements at roof level. It was incorporated into the town wall (which was about 12 metres high), and a short section of the wall still exists. |
The main entrance (as now) was on the side facing the town. It leads into the ground floor. There is a basement beneath and a first floor above. There is a turret at each corner. The north-east turret houses the spiral staircase which serves all three floors.
The other three turrets are hollow at ground and first floor levels, forming guardrooms which were used as cells for prisoners after the tower became a prison.
The ground and first floors each had a fireplace. These are still in place, although the chimneys are now blocked. The windows were originally designed as arrow-slits, and between them they gave good all-round defence. Archers in the turrets could fire on attackers trying to climb the walls.
The windows were unglazed, and had iron bars and external shutters. The first floor windows were wider than those on the ground floor, and the basement had no windows at all.
