Past Watch Site

From a distance, the 170-foot-tall Hadlow Tower appears as a slender skyscraper rising from the flat Kent landscape. But within the center of Tonbridge, it presents itself as a dramatic example of the Gothic Revival that was so popular in the first half of the 19th century. Inspired by William Beckford's Fonthill Abbey, the octagonal tower by George Leadwell Taylor has gable projections on the four main sides. By the early 1990s, the fabric had deteriorated to the point at which all decoration and the magnificent pinnacled lantern crowning the tower had to be removed. The tower is a regional landmark and epitomizes the bravado of neo-Gothic architects. Structurally, the tower is strong, though stucco wall surfaces require extensive conservation and repair. Hadlow Tower is a private house but the owner cannot afford to make necessary repairs and so its future depends on its being taken over by a public body or preservation trust.

UPDATE

Since 1998 the Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council has demonstrated its commitment to preserving this monument. When the owner refused to repair the building, the decision was made for the tower to be acquired through compulsory purchase. Following years of deliberations, the council took possession of the building in January 2011 for £1, its fair market value given the cost of repairs. The tower was then transferred to a historic buildings preservation trust and a £2.8 million restoration project began the following month, with the financial support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage. The tower will be structurally reinforced and missing architectural elements are to be replicated. A lantern, removed in 1996, will be reconstructed at the top. An exhibition space on the ground floor will allow this formerly private Grade I listed building to be visited by the public once it has been fully restored. January 2011

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