Follies · South Wales
Paxton's Tower
Also known as: Tŵr Paxton
In or near Cross Hands.
Paxton's Tower is a Neo-Gothic folly erected in honour of Lord Nelson. It is situated on the top of a hill near Llanarthney in the River Tywi valley in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is a visitor attracti
Philip Halling — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 20 min–45 min
- Nearest railway station
- Llandybie · 8.7 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Paxton's Tower, the nearest railway station is Llandybie, which is 8.7 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is SA32 8HX, and entry to the tower is free.
About
Paxton's Tower is a Neo-Gothic folly erected in honour of Lord Nelson. It is situated on the top of a hill near Llanarthney in the River Tywi valley in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is a visitor attraction that can be combined with a visit to the nearby National Botanic Garden of Wales. Its high location provides views over the Botanic Gardens and the Tywi valley. The tower, a Grade II* listed building, is under the care of the National Trust. The surrounding parkland is registered at Grade II* on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
Paxton's Tower is a Neo-Gothic folly erected in honour of Lord Nelson. It is situated on the top of a hill near Llanarthney in the River Tywi valley in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is a visitor attraction that can be combined with a visit to the nearby National Botanic Garden of Wales. Its high location provides views over the Botanic Gardens and the Tywi valley. The tower, a Grade II* listed building, is under the care of the National Trust. The surrounding parkland is registered at Grade II* on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The tower was built by Sir William Paxton (1745–1824), a Scottish-born and London-raised merchant and banker, whose forefathers were from Auchencrow by Paxton, Berwickshire. Paxton made his first fortune while with the East India Company in Calcutta with Charles Cockerell, brother of the architect. He purchased the Middleton Hall estate c 1790. The tower was built c 1806–1809. Paxton may have been inspired to build the tower by Nelson's death at Trafalgar. Whilst in the office of mayor of Carmarthen, he may have met Nelson in person. Marble tablets dedicating the tower to Nelson were located above the entrances to the tower. Middleton Hall was designed by the architect, Samuel Pepys…
Architecture
The tower is 36 feet high. The lower part of the tower is triangular in shape with a turret at each corner. On the first floor there is a banqueting room. Coloured glass from one of the windows can now be seen in the Carmarthen Museum at Abergwili. On the second floor there is a hexagonal prospect room surrounded by roof terraces. The windows to the prospect room are now bricked up. There is currently public access to the first floor banqueting room via stairs in one of the corner turrets.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.8518, -4.1198
- District
- Carmarthenshire
- Parish
- Llanarthney
- Postcode
- SA32 8HX
- Parliamentary constituency
- Caerfyrddin
- Nearest railway station
- Llandybie — 8.7 km
Sources
- wikipedia: Paxton's Tower (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Bridge above Waterfall in Middleton Park
Historic bridges · 1.1 km
Llanarthne
Villages · 1.1 km
Pont Felin-gât
Historic bridges · 1.4 km
Original Site of Middleton House
Archaeological sites · 1.7 km
Dryslwyn Castle
Castles · 1.8 km
Dryslwyn
Villages · 1.8 km
Dryslwyn Castle
Vineyards · 1.8 km
Glantowy
Literary houses · 2.0 km
Llyn Canol
Reservoirs & lochs · 2.0 km
Fairy Wood
Forests & woodlands · 2.0 km
Tawr
Public art & sculpture · 2.0 km
Middleton House Site
Historic houses · 2.1 km
Nearby
📷 5Historic bridges · South Wales
Bridge above Waterfall in Middleton Park
Bridge above Waterfall in Middleton Park — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in wales-south, United Kingdom.
📷 5📷 5Historic bridges · South Wales
Pont Felin-gât
Pont Felin-gât — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in wales-south, United Kingdom.
📷 3Archaeological sites · South Wales
Original Site of Middleton House
Original Site of Middleton House — a archaeological in wales-south, United Kingdom.
📷 5Castles · South Wales
Dryslwyn Castle
Dryslwyn Castle — castle in Carmarthenshire, Wales.
📷 5Where to eat & stay near Paxton's Tower
Places to stay
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Towy Valley Caravan Park
Towy Valley Caravan Park — a campsite in wales south.
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Quarry Lodge Camping
Quarry Lodge Camping — a campsite in wales south.
📷 5
📷 5Campsites · South Wales
Towy View Touring Caravan & Camping Park
Towy View Touring Caravan & Camping Park — a campsite in wales south.
📷 7
📷 5Places to eat & drink
📷 3
Restaurants · South Wales
The Bridge
The Bridge — a restaurant in wales south.
📷 5
📷 5
📷 5Restaurants · South Wales
The Cockleshell
The Cockleshell — a restaurant in wales south. Cuisine: british. Brand: Toby Carvery.
📷 5More follies in this region
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📷 3
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📷 3Frequently asked questions
- Where is Paxton's Tower?
- Paxton's Tower is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode SA32 8HX), in the parish of Llanarthney.
- What is Paxton's Tower?
- Paxton's Tower is a Neo-Gothic folly erected in honour of Lord Nelson. It is situated on the top of a hill near Llanarthney in the River Tywi valley in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is a visitor attracti
- How do I get to Paxton's Tower?
- The nearest railway station is Llandybie, about 8.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode SA32 8HX.
- Is Paxton's Tower free to visit?
- Yes, Paxton's Tower is free to enter.
- How do I get to Paxton's Tower?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode SA32 8HX. It sits within the Caerfyrddin parliamentary constituency.