Cranmore Tower

Cranmore Tower
Cranmore Tower
	Location within Somerset
General information
Town or city	Cranmore, Somerset
Country	England
Coordinates	51°12′09″N 2°27′58″W / 51.2026°N 2.4662°WCoordinates: 51°12′09″N 2°27′58″W / 51.2026°N 2.4662°W
Construction started	1862
Completed	1864
Client
Technical details
Size	45 metres (148 ft)
Design and construction
Architect	Henry Goodridge
Engineer	William Witcombe

The Cranmore Tower is a 45 metres (148 ft) tall 19th century folly in the parish of Cranmore, Somerset, England.^[1] The site is 280 metres (919 ft) above sea level, and is the highest point on the Mendip Way.

The tower was built in 1862-1864, by Thomas Henry Wyatt for of Cranmore Hall (now part of All Hallows Preparatory School). There is a viewing area at the top with pair of semi-circular headed openings to each face with a restored iron-railed balcony beneath each pair. A similar balcony just over halfway up is continued right round the tower. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II listed building.^[2]

In World War II it was used as a lookout tower by the Home Guard and the Royal Corps of Signals.^[3]

By 1984 the tower had fallen into disrepair and was sold to Donald Beaton who undertook repairs. During the course of the repairs the remains of a Roman fort with a hoard of coins was discovered adjacent to the tower. In 1988 it was sold again, this time to Nick Ridge who opened it to the public.^[3] The tower was then acquired by followers of the Baháʼí Faith. Further restorations were carried out, including the installation of a new timber staircase to allow access to the balconies at the top of the tower at a height of 320 metres (1,050 ft) above sea level. From early 2008 the tower has been again open to the public, in particular being marketed as a romantic setting for proposals of marriage. A small fee is usually charged to ascend the tower which is open on weekends, bank and school holidays and by arrangement.

References[]

^ "Cranmore Tower". Cranmore Tower. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
^ "Cranmore Tower". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
^ ^a ^b Holt, Jonathan (2007). Somerset Follies. Bath: Akeman Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-9546138-7-7.

[1] "Cranmore Tower". Cranmore Tower. Retrieved 17 March 2013.

[2] "Cranmore Tower". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 2008-03-25.

[holt-3] Holt, Jonathan (2007). Somerset Follies. Bath: Akeman Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-9546138-7-7.

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