Beckford's Tower
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| Beckford's Tower | |
 |
|
| Building information | |
|---|---|
| Town | Bath |
| Country | England |
| Architect | Henry Goodridge |
| Client | William Beckford |
| Completion date | 1827 |
| Style | neo-classical folly |
| Size | 120-feet high |
Beckford's Tower is an architectural folly built in neo-classical style and situated on Lansdown Hill, just outside Bath, Somerset, England.
Standing 120-feet high, the tower was completed in 1827 for local resident William Beckford to a design by Henry Goodridge. Beckford 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.
The most striking feature of the tower is the topmost gilded belvedere, reached by a spiral staircase and offering excellent views over the surrounding countryside.
Today, the tower is home to a museum collection displaying furniture originally made for the Tower, alongside paintings, prints and objects illustrating William Beckford’s life as a writer, collector and patron of the arts.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 and experience the spectacular panoramic view of Bath.
The tower is 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.[1]
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.
[edit] References
- ^ Beckford's Tower & Mortuary Chapel, Lansdown Cemetery. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
