Farne Island Tower was originally a four storey stone pele tower, founded by Thomas Castell, the Prior of Durham. Built in 1500, a small round-arched doorway, leads to a vaulted basement, which may incorporate earlier work. In the mid 16th century, King Henry VIII garrisoned the site as a coastal fortification and in the 17th century, the tower acted as a lighthouse, when King Charles II, authorised the building of a beacon. In 1848, the Venerable Charles Thorp, Archdeacon of Durham redesigned the interior, making the tower three storey and inserted Gothic windows. Visit pending.