Follies · South East England
The Pepperbox
Also known as: Eyre's Folly
In or near Breamore.
The Pepperbox — Folly or eyecatcher.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 20 min–45 min
- Nearest railway station
- Dean · 5.0 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
The Pepperbox is located in Wiltshire, postcode SP5 3QL. The nearest railway station is Dean, which is 5 km away. Entry to The Pepperbox is free.
About
The Pepperbox is a folly — a piece of decorative architecture built more for the view than any practical purpose — in the United Kingdom. Also known as: Eyre's Folly. Wikidata describes it as: "Folly or eyecatcher.". Coordinates: 51.0228°, -1.6983°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Avon System SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Brickworth Down and Dean Hill SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Pepperbox, also known as Eyre's Folly, is a folly tower that stands near the highest point on Pepperbox Hill, the peak of a chalk ridge about 5 miles (8 km) south-east of the city of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. Built in 1606 by Giles Eyre, the folly is a three-storey hexagonal tower constructed of brick, with its entrances and windows blocked up. The building's original purpose is unknown, though theories include that it was built to provide Eyre with views of Longford Castle or to provide local landowners' wives, including Eyre's wife Jane, with a lookout tower to watch the hunt. The tower is considered one of the oldest follies, and is a Grade II listed building. The tower and hillside are owned by the National Trust.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Although the Historic England listing dates The Pepperbox to the early 18th century, it is accepted that the tower was built in 1606 by Giles Eyre of the nearby Brickworth House, hence the alternate name "Eyre's Folly". Eyre is known for being the father of settler John Eyre and grandfather of Giles Eyre, a judge. The original purpose of the tower is unknown. It has alternately been suggested that the 1606 date is an erroneous dating due to a coincidence of names, and that the tower was more probably built by Eyres' great-great-grandson Giles Eyre (1664–1734) in the early 18th century. The elder Giles Eyre was the first of five generations of owners with the same name covering the period…
Description
The Pepperbox is a hexagonal, three-storey tower constructed of English bond brick, with a low, pyramidal Welsh slate roof that was rebuilt around 1900, topped by a weather vane. The first floor features three-brick plat bands, while the second floor has a stepped cornice with windows under timber lintels. used in the 17th and 18th centuries, and consequently also inspired the name of the hill that it stands on. The highest point of Pepperbox Hill is further along the ridge to the north-west, where there is an Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar. The site is in the north-west corner of the parish of Whiteparish, but is more closely associated with the village of Alderbury, which the tower…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.0228, -1.6983
- District
- Wiltshire
- Parish
- Downton
- Postcode
- SP5 3QL
- Parliamentary constituency
- Salisbury
- Nearest railway station
- Dean — 5 km
Sources
- osm: w294824820 (ODbL)
- wikipedia: The Pepperbox (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Eyre's Folly, Pepperbox Hill 02.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Pepperbox Hill
Mountains & hills · 0.0 km
Brickworth Down
Mountains & hills · 0.6 km
Pepperbox Hill
Mountains & hills · 0.7 km
Standlynch Down
Mountains & hills · 0.8 km
Brickworth House
Manor houses · 1.5 km
West Grimstead
Villages · 1.8 km
The Three Crowns
Historic pubs · 1.9 km
Southampton And Salisbury Canal, Canal Bridge
Historic bridges · 2.7 km
Popple Hill
Mountains & hills · 2.7 km
Alderbury and Whaddon Village Sign
Public art & sculpture · 2.8 km
Trafalgar Park
Historic houses · 2.9 km
Barford Down
Mountains & hills · 2.9 km
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Pepperbox Hill
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is The Pepperbox?
- The Pepperbox is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode SP5 3QL), in the parish of Downton.
- What is The Pepperbox?
- The Pepperbox — Folly or eyecatcher.
- How do I get to The Pepperbox?
- The nearest railway station is Dean, about 5.0 km away. Drivers can use postcode SP5 3QL.
- Is The Pepperbox a protected site?
- Yes — The Pepperbox is part of the River Avon System SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Brickworth Down and Dean Hill SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is The Pepperbox free to visit?
- Yes, The Pepperbox is free to enter.
- How do I get to The Pepperbox?
- The nearest railway station is Dean, about 5.0 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SP5 3QL.