Beckford's Tower
Encyclopedia
Beckford's Tower, originally known as Lansdown Tower, is an architectural folly
built in neo-classical style on Lansdown Hill, just outside Bath, Somerset
, England
.
Standing 120 feet (36.6 m) high, the tower was completed in 1827 for local resident William Beckford
to a design by Henry Goodridge
. Beckford, who wished that he had built it forty feet higher, but admitted that "such as it is, it is a famous landmark for drunken farmers on their way home from market", used the tower as both a library and a retreat, located at the end of pleasure gardens called Beckford's Ride which ran from his house in Lansdown Crescent up to the Tower at the top of Lansdown Hill; he made it his habit to ride up to the tower, view the progress of gardens and works, and walk down to breakfast.
Beckford's own choice of the best of works of art, virtu, books and prints and rich furnishings from Fonthill Abbey
, which he had sold in 1822, were rehoused in his double adjoining houses in Bath and at the Tower. One long narrow room there was fitted out as an "Oratory", where all the paintings were of devotional subjects and a marble Virgin and Child was bathed in light from a hidden skylight.
The most striking feature of the tower is the topmost gilded lantern, based on the peripteral temple at Tivoli
and the Tower of the Winds
at Athens, reached by a spiral staircase and offering excellent views over the surrounding countryside, but not open to the public. With a strong spyglass, Beckford could make out shipping in the Bristol Channel
.
Today, the tower is home to a museum collection displaying furniture originally made for the Tower, alongside paintings, prints and objects illustrating William Beckford’s life as a writer, collector and patron of the arts. Visitors can follow in Beckford’s footsteps and climb the spiral staircase to the beautifully restored belvedere
below the lantern and experience the spectacular panoramic view of western Bath. On a clear day, it is possible to see King Alfred's Tower
at Stourhead
, the White Horses at Westbury
and Cherhill
, the Forest of Dean
and South Wales
.
The tower was given by Beckford's daughter to the parish of Lansdown, together with the adjoining burial ground. It was declared redundant and sold in 1971, the then rector of Lansdown remarking that the tower was of little architectural interest.
The tower is now owned by the Bath Preservation Trust
and managed by the Beckford Tower Trust. The Tower is also available to rent as a holiday home through the Landmark Trust
. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a grade I listed building.
A Victorian
cemetery
(no longer used for interments) now occupies that part of what was once Beckford's Ride that is closest to the tower.
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
built in neo-classical style on Lansdown Hill, just outside Bath, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Standing 120 feet (36.6 m) high, the tower was completed in 1827 for local resident William Beckford
William Thomas Beckford
William Thomas Beckford , usually known as William Beckford, was an English novelist, a profligate and consummately knowledgeable art collector and patron of works of decorative art, a critic, travel writer and sometime politician, reputed to be the richest commoner in England...
to a design by Henry Goodridge
Henry Goodridge
Henry Edmund Goodridge was an architect whose work started in the 1820s.-Works:Goodridge's neoclassical buildings in Bath include:* Cleveland Bridge;* one of the earliest shopping arcades...
. Beckford, who wished that he had built it forty feet higher, but admitted that "such as it is, it is a famous landmark for drunken farmers on their way home from market", used the tower as both a library and a retreat, located at the end of pleasure gardens called Beckford's Ride which ran from his house in Lansdown Crescent up to the Tower at the top of Lansdown Hill; he made it his habit to ride up to the tower, view the progress of gardens and works, and walk down to breakfast.
Beckford's own choice of the best of works of art, virtu, books and prints and rich furnishings from Fonthill Abbey
Fonthill Abbey
Fonthill Abbey — also known as Beckford's Folly — was a large Gothic revival country house built around the turn of the 19th century at Fonthill Gifford in Wiltshire, England, at the direction of William Thomas Beckford and architect James Wyatt...
, which he had sold in 1822, were rehoused in his double adjoining houses in Bath and at the Tower. One long narrow room there was fitted out as an "Oratory", where all the paintings were of devotional subjects and a marble Virgin and Child was bathed in light from a hidden skylight.
The most striking feature of the tower is the topmost gilded lantern, based on the peripteral temple at Tivoli
Tivoli, Italy
Tivoli , the classical Tibur, is an ancient Italian town in Lazio, about 30 km east-north-east of Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river where it issues from the Sabine hills...
and the Tower of the Winds
Tower of the Winds
The Tower of the Winds, also called horologion , is an octagonal Pentelic marble clocktower on the Roman agora in Athens. The structure features a combination of sundials, a water clock and a wind vane...
at Athens, reached by a spiral staircase and offering excellent views over the surrounding countryside, but not open to the public. With a strong spyglass, Beckford could make out shipping in the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
.
Today, the tower is home to a museum collection displaying furniture originally made for the Tower, alongside paintings, prints and objects illustrating William Beckford’s life as a writer, collector and patron of the arts. Visitors can follow in Beckford’s footsteps and climb the spiral staircase to the beautifully restored belvedere
Belvedere (structure)
Belvedere is an architectural term adopted from Italian , which refers to any architectural structure sited to take advantage of such a view. A belvedere may be built in the upper part of a building so as to command a fine view...
below the lantern and experience the spectacular panoramic view of western Bath. On a clear day, it is possible to see King Alfred's Tower
King Alfred's Tower
King Alfred's Tower or The Folly of King Alfred the Great is in the parish of Brewham, Somerset, and was built as part of the celebrated Stourhead estate and landscape. The tower stands on Kingsettle Hill and nowadays belongs to the National Trust...
at Stourhead
Stourhead
Stourhead is a 2,650 acre estate at the source of the River Stour near Mere, Wiltshire, England. The estate includes a Palladian mansion, the village of Stourton, gardens, farmland, and woodland...
, the White Horses at Westbury
Westbury White Horse
The Westbury or Bratton White Horse is a hill figure on the escarpment of Salisbury Plain, approximately east of Westbury in England. Located on the edge of Bratton Downs and lying just below an Iron Age hill fort, it is the oldest of several white horses carved in Wiltshire...
and Cherhill
Cherhill White Horse
The Cherhill White Horse is a hill figure on Cherhill Down, 3.5 miles east of Calne in Wiltshire, England. Dating from the late 18th century, it is the third oldest of several such white horses in Great Britain, with only the Uffington White Horse and the Westbury White Horse being older...
, the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
and South Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
The tower was given by Beckford's daughter to the parish of Lansdown, together with the adjoining burial ground. It was declared redundant and sold in 1971, the then rector of Lansdown remarking that the tower was of little architectural interest.
The tower is now owned by the Bath Preservation Trust
Bath Preservation Trust
The Bath Preservation Trust is an independent charity based in Bath, Somerset, England which exists to safeguard the historic character of the city of Bath, the only complete city in the UK that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and to champion its sustainable future. The Trust is funded entirely...
and managed by the Beckford Tower Trust. The Tower is also available to rent as a holiday home through the Landmark Trust
Landmark Trust
The Landmark Trust is a British building conservation charity, founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or architectural merit and then gives them a new life by making them available for holiday rental...
. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a grade I listed building.
A Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
(no longer used for interments) now occupies that part of what was once Beckford's Ride that is closest to the tower.