WHAT’S ON OFFER? Explore this 15th century country home, try the tour and take in the pretty woodland trail.

Built during Tudor times and altered and extended during Stuart and Victorian eras, it now stands as it was in 1850.

Nobody knows for sure where the name Turton comes from, but it could be Thors town, named after the Norse God with a violent reputation.

An alternative is Tower Town because of a Pele Tower built to protect the local folk from the invading Scots in the 14th century.

This early fortification was rebuilt around the year 1400 and is now the focus of an excellent museum set in a beautiful setting.

There is a cafe, bookshop and excellent interpretations of local history.

The tower itself is signed from the Blackburn to Bolton road and the bridges over the railway had to be built to resemble a tower so that it blended in with the local environment.

This was at the time that the tower was owned by John Charles Kay (1855-1929) and whose second son was a formidable sportsman.

He captained Turton football team, which was at one time one of the most formidable in the county.

His real fame, however, was in lawn tennis, and he was regarded as the champion of England (Wimbledon eat your heart out) and the courts laid out at the tower were regarded as the very best!

Since 1930 Turton has been a museum with a fantastic collection of armour dating to the Civil War as well as furniture and a 19th century German chandelier based on the antlers of a huge fallow deer.

He had been Lancashire treasurer for the Roundhead forces in the Civil War and an extension was built to entertain troops.

Perhaps the most famous owner of the Tower was Humphrey Chetham, who held Turton from 1628 to 1653.

He made his fortune in textiles based around Manchester and spent some of his profits founding a school which is now one of the most famous music colleges in England.

He also built a library in which sat Karl Marx as he wrote the Communist Manifesto.

As I looked out from the tower, the pouring rain had changed to a steady drip and I was able to stroll around the site of the old water mill.

This would have been a mighty powerful spot if it was still working in 2007.

ADMISSION: Adults £4, concessions £3.

OPENING TIMES: Open Saturday to Wednesday noon to 4pm.

LOCATION: Chapeltown Road, Turton, BL7 0GH.

CONTACT: 01204 852 203.