It receives its name from the wailing noise that emanates from it when the wind blows from the north. These cracks formed when the stones fissured due to the intense heat of dragonbreath in the burning of Harrenhal during Aegon's Conquest. The common held belief among the inhabitants of the castle is that it is the cries of the long dead Harren the Black and his sons, though they died in Kingspyre Tower. Beneath the Wailing Tower are cavernous vaults which hold the treasury. The ground floor of the tower is storerooms and granaries.

Its original name was lost with the death of Harren the Black in the burning of Harrenhal during Aegon's Conquest. It has since been renamed the Widow's Tower. There is a stone bridge that connects it to Kingspyre Tower. The maester's chamber and rookery are within. Underneath there is a great cell that is used to keep prisoners.

Harrentown or Harrenton is a town located outside of Harrenhal. It lies on the northern shore of the Gods Eye, along the road leading to the main gate, the town becoming dark early in the afternoon due to the large shadow cast over it by the massive keep. The multitude of lords, retainers, and smallfolk who came to Harrenhal for the Great Council of 101 AC led to Harrentown briefly being considered the fourth largest city of the Seven Kingdoms.