Vandalian Tower
| Vandalian Tower | |
|
Sussex | |
|---|---|
 The Vandalian Tower | |
| Type: | Folly |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU78531823 |
| Location: | 50°57’30"N, -0°52’60"W |
| Village: | Harting |
| History | |
| Built 1774 | |
| For: | Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh by Henry Keene |
| Folly | |
| Information | |
| Condition: | Ruined |
The Vandalian Tower at Harting in Sussex is an 18th-century folly, built to commemorate the British colony of Vandalia, a short-lived colony in the Ohio Valley of North America; a colony which was never officially chartered and which disappeared with the American Revolution.[1]
The tower stands on the summit of Tower Hill, in the very west of Sussex, close to the Hampshire border.
Today the ruin is owned by the descendants of the Fetherstonhaugh family who bought the neighbouring estate of Uppark, now owned by the National Trust. It was listed as a scheduled monument in 1976.[2]
History
The tower was built in 1774, designed by Henry Keene, the architect, for Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh, to celebrate the founding of the colony of Vandalia.[2][3] The tower was quickly abandoned, possibly out of embarrassment of the failure of Vandalia.
In the late 18th century, Emma Hamilton is said to have watched frequently, from the tower, for Lord Nelson's ship arriving. This led to it being referred to by locals as “Lady Hamilton’s Folly,”[1][4] The tower was partly destroyed by fire in 1842 and the ruins were stabilised in 1982.[2]
Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Vandalian Tower" (in en). http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/vandalian-tower.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 National Heritage List 1005807: The Vandalian Tower, Up Park, Harting
- ↑ Forrant, John Howard (2001). Sussex Depicted: Views and Descriptions, 1600-1800, Volume 85. ISBN 9780854450510. https://books.google.com/books?id=6ZVnAAAAMAAJ&q=vandalian+tower.
- ↑ Barton, Stuart (1972-06-05) (in en). Monumental follies: an exposition on the eccentric edifices of Britain. Lyle Publications. https://archive.org/details/monumentalfollie0000bart. "vandalian tower."