The Round Tower

A constant source of enjoyment for Mrs Cookson’s many and devoted readers is the vividness and realism with which she recreates the Tyneside scene she knows so well. The Round Tower is set here and portrays the clash between Jonathan Ratcliffe and Angus Cotton, and the corresponding contrast between their respected backgrounds – the smart suburb of Brampton Hill and its opposite, Ryder’s Row.



Jonathan Ratcliffe is the successful manager of Affleck and Tate’s engineering works. He has succeeded to this position over the head of Arthur Brett whose ancestors founded the firm. Arthur Brett is also his neighbour and possesses land which Ratcliffe covets.



The inevitable tension between the two men and their families is increased when Arthur Brett finds himself attracted to Vanessa, Jonathan’s daughter. She is only sixteen, but her provocative manner often draws envious eyes in her direction. Angus Cotton, son of the Ratcliffe’s cook, is a rough diamond and an engineer at Affleck and Tate. He has ambitious plans for his future, plans that never included Vanessa, until he is blamed by Jonathan for giving Vanessa a child.



This accusation changes the whole course and pattern of the lives and the ensuing struggle of the three families. The classic relationship between a young man of humble origins and the girl from a ‘higher’ class creates a powerful and wholly memorable story of love, greed and honour.