Hadlow Castle

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Hadlow "Castle", in Hadlow, Kent, England, was a Victorian house built by Walter May, the work beginning in the 1780s and being finished by 1843, although various additions were made later. To that building was added, by his son, Walter Barton May, a folly in the shape of a 210 feet high tower, which became known as "May's Folly". It was designed by George Ledwell Taylor and built in the 1838.

Hadlow Tower, known locally as May's Folly, is a Victorian Gothic tower, and one of the largest in Britain. The original top 40 feet - an octagonal lantern - has had to removed for safety reasons, but plans are in hand to replace it. The Grade I listed tower was badly damaged in the Great Storm of 1987, and its condition has worsened rapidly. The cost of repairs is estimated at £4 million. In July 2006, Tonbridge and Malling borough council announced that it would issue a compulsory purchase order on the tower in an effort to save it. [1]

The castle fell into disrepair and the part of the building was demolished, but some parts were saved in 1951 by the painter Bernard Hailstone. Now the entrance gateway and lodges of the Castle still stand - a heavy Gothic presence on the street - as does the Stable Court with two turreted pavilions, which are all in private ownerships, and new homes have been built in the grounds.