The Wheel of Senses at Longthorpe Tower is one of Britain’s most remarkable surviving medieval wall paintings. Created around 1330 for the wealthy Thorpe family, it forms part of a unique cycle of secular and devotional murals within the tower’s upper chamber. The Wheel shows a crowned female figure, Human Nature, turning a great wheel whose spokes symbolise the five senses — sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch — each represented by an animal: the lynx, deer, vulture, monkey, and spider.
This intricate imagery reflects the medieval view of the senses as both gateways to knowledge and sources of temptation, drawing on classical philosophy and Christian moral teaching. With its vibrant pigments and finely preserved detail, the Wheel of Senses transforms Longthorpe Tower from a defensive structure into a home of intellect, art, and contemplation.
Visitor note:
The Wheel of Senses can only be seen by purchasing a ticket for entry to Longthorpe Tower.
Longthorpe Tower
Step inside a 14th-century tower to discover vivid medieval wall paintings and a glimpse into the lives of Peterborough’s medieval gentry.