Follies · South East England
Horton Tower
Horton Tower — Folly or eyecatcher.
Trevor Harris — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 20 min–45 min
- Nearest railway station
- Kingsmere · 7.4 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
About
Horton Tower is a folly in South-East England — built more for the eye than for any practical purpose, and a reminder of the British landscape's appetite for the eccentric. The site is within the Dorset National Landscape (AONB), and is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. It sits within the Mid Dorset and North Poole parliamentary constituency. The nearest railway station is Kingsmere, about 7.4 km away. Postcode area BH21.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Details HORTON SU 00 NW 5/79 Horton Tower 18.3.55 II II Folly in the form of a tower, said to have been built as an 'observatory'. Probably for Humphrey Sturt. Brick, Flemish bond to main tower, header bond to outer turrets. Roof missing. Hexagonal in plan with round turrets to alternate faces. Seven storeys, turret rising for 5. Pointed brick lancets. Moulded brick string courses to third floor. Fifth floor has modillioned brick cornice with pediments to central bays and brick domes to turrets. Similar cornice to 7th floor. Internal woodwork decayed. (R.C.H.M. Dorset, Vol V, p.37, no. 7, Newman J and Pevsner N. The Buildings of England. Dorset, 1972, p.235). Listing NGR: SU0304106743 Legacy The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system. Legacy System number: 107538 Legacy System: LBS
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Avon System SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Holt and West Moors Heaths SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Dorset
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
Place summary
Horton Tower is a folly located in Horton, South-East England (BH21). It is a Grade II* listed building, notable for its architectural significance. The surrounding area is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for the River Avon System and Holt and West Moors Heaths, and is part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Dorset.
AI-generated from the structured facts on this page (operator, designation, listing, era). Not a substitute for visiting.
- Coordinates
- 50.8602, -1.9582
- District
- Dorset
- Parish
- Horton
- Postcode
- BH21 7EP
- Parliamentary constituency
- Mid Dorset and North Poole
- Nearest railway station
- Kingsmere — 7.4 km
Sources
- osm: w371502370 (ODbL)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Horton Tower?
- Horton Tower is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode BH21 7EP), in the parish of Horton.
- Is Horton Tower a listed building?
- Horton Tower is officially recognised as Grade II* listed building listed.
- Is Horton Tower a protected site?
- Yes — Horton Tower is part of the River Avon System SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Holt and West Moors Heaths SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Horton Tower free to visit?
- Yes, Horton Tower is free to enter.
- How do I get to Horton Tower?
- The nearest railway station is Kingsmere, about 7.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BH21 7EP.