Follies · South West England
King Alfred's Tower
Also known as: The Folly of King Alfred the Great;Stourton Tower
In or near Bourton.
King Alfred's Tower — Folly or eyecatcher, 1769-1770.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 20 min–45 min
- Nearest railway station
- Bruton · 5.7 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit King Alfred's Tower, the nearest railway station is Bruton, located 5.7 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is BA10 0LB, and entry is free.
About
King Alfred's Tower is a folly — a piece of decorative architecture built more for the view than any practical purpose — in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1772. Also known as: The Folly of King Alfred the Great;Stourton Tower. Wikidata describes it as: "Folly or eyecatcher, 1769-1770.". Coordinates: 51.1149°, -2.3650°.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2024
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Alfred's Tower is a folly in Somerset, England, on the edge of the border with Wiltshire, on the Stourhead estate. The tower stands on Kingsettle Hill and belongs to the National Trust. It is designated as a Grade I listed building. Henry Hoare II planned the tower in the 1760s to commemorate the end of the Seven Years' War against France and the accession of King George III, and it was erected near the site of Egbert's Stone, where it is believed that Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, rallied the Anglo-Saxons in 878 before the Battle of Edington. The tower was damaged by an aeroplane in 1944 and restored in the 1980s. The 49-metre-high (161 ft) triangular tower has a hollow centre and is climbed by means of a spiral staircase in one of the corner projections. It has a statue of King Alfred and a dedication inscription.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The project to build the tower was conceived in 1762 by the banker Henry Hoare II (1705–1785). The tower was intended to commemorate the end of the Seven Years' War against France and the accession of King George III. In 1765, Henry Flitcroft, a Palladian architect, designed the tower. In addition to the commemorative function, the tower was also intended to serve as an eye-catcher for those touring the parkland of the Stourhead Estate. In April 1770, when the tower was just high, Hoare is quoted as saying: "I hope it will be finished in as happy Times to this Isle as Alfred finished his Life of Glory in then I shall depart in peace." The tower was damaged in 1944 when a Noorduyn Norseman…
Architecture
The triangular tower is over high with a girth of . Each of the three corners of the triangular structure has a round projection. The south-east face of the tower has a Gothic-arched entrance door, a statue of King Alfred, and a stone panel bearing an inscription (see below). This is the face that most visitors see first when walking from Stourhead garden or from the nearby car park. <gallery mode="packed" heights="220"> File:The top of Alfred's Tower - geograph.org.uk - 1310883.jpg|The turret above the stair-tower at the top of the tower File:Plaque carrying inscription on King Alfred's Tower.png|Plaque above the entrance File:KingAlfredsTowerStatue.png|Statue of King Alfred above the…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.1149, -2.3650
- District
- Somerset
- Parish
- Brewham
- Postcode
- BA10 0LB
- Parliamentary constituency
- Glastonbury and Somerton
- Established
- 1772
- Nearest railway station
- Bruton — 5.7 km
Sources
- osm: w83804169 (ODbL)
- wikipedia: King Alfred's Tower (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: King Alfred's Tower view from west.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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📷 5Frequently asked questions
- Where is King Alfred's Tower?
- King Alfred's Tower is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode BA10 0LB), in the parish of Brewham.
- What is King Alfred's Tower?
- King Alfred's Tower — Folly or eyecatcher, 1769-1770.
- How do I get to King Alfred's Tower?
- The nearest railway station is Bruton, about 5.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode BA10 0LB.
- When was King Alfred's Tower built?
- Built or established in 1772.
- Is King Alfred's Tower a protected site?
- Yes — King Alfred's Tower is part of the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape (AONB).
- Is King Alfred's Tower free to visit?
- Yes, King Alfred's Tower is free to enter.
- How do I get to King Alfred's Tower?
- The nearest railway station is Bruton, about 5.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BA10 0LB.