Tower House

Tower House is an Italianate country villa, built in 1835 as a dower house for the Kelston Park estate. It was designed by James Thomson of London. The house is constructed of ashlar with a lead roof, largely hidden behind a plain parapet. It has an asymmetrical design centered around a three-stage tower. This tower has a pyramidal lead roof, which projects from a cornice supported by brackets, with small square lights set between the brackets. Columns flank the tower, supporting elaborate urns. A panelled and glazed door is sheltered by a later cast iron hood, and there is a recessed niche on the first floor above a circular window. A corbelled circular stair turret extends from the east side of the tower. The main body of the house, to the east, comprises two storeys and a basement. It features two-light round-headed windows within plain surrounds on each floor. A circular turret stands at the east end and a two-storey lean-to is set to the left. The garden elevation features a single, three-light round-headed window on the first floor, and a projecting rear wing with round angle turrets and a three-light bay window on a corbelled base. Inside, there is a large, open staircase hall. James Thomson previously worked for the Inigo-Jones or Neeld family on their estate at Grittleton, Wiltshire.