The Storm Tower

The Storm Tower was designed by George Wightwick for Sir Thomas Dyke Acland in 1835 as a coastguard watchtower, refuge, and signalling point. Due to coastal erosion, the building was demolished, re-sited, and rebuilt in 1881 and again in 2023-24.

The tower is constructed primarily from yellow elvan stone quarried at Trerice, also known as porphyry or ‘Trerice stone,’ with more recent repairs using Whitton Fell Yorkshire sandstone. The internal walls comprise a brick skin with random stone rubble above, with a slate floor. The current roof is a modern steel structure on a concrete ring beam, covered with zinc sheeting. A modern concrete base and plinth support the structure.

The tower has an octagonal plan, measuring approximately 5 meters across and 7 meters tall. The exterior features roughly-dressed snecked yellow elvan stone, with dressed elvan stone quoins and modern lime mortar pointing. It stands on a snecked elvan stone plinth topped with granite slabs. On the east (east-north-east) side are two granite ashlar steps leading to an entrance portico with plain pilasters on granite pedestals, capitals, an entablature, and a pediment; the stone used here is weathered and may have been introduced in 1881. Five sides of the tower feature rectangular slit openings at ground floor level, each with an elvan stone cill and dressings. A modern frieze carved in a sans-serif font displays the cardinal and ordinal points of the compass, with ‘NORTH’ facing approximately north-north-east. Above this is a modern, ogee-moulded sandstone cornice, rising to a low, pyramidal roof surmounted by an iron cross on a moulded base.

The tower is surrounded by modern granite slabs and kerbs, forming an octagonal paved and stepped area. The area around the plinth is decorated with black and white sea pebbles arranged in a cross representing the emblem of St Piran.

Internally, two further granite ashlar steps lead into the tower, which features a slate-slab floor. While the original timber architrave survives, there is no door. The interior is a single, double-height space. The five slit openings and two internal recesses (north-east and south-east) have red-brick dressings and segmental-headed relieving arches, some of which are modern brick replacements. The walls above the openings and within the recesses are constructed of uncoursed rubble stone. The openings are unglazed, but retain evidence of previous glazing and pintle hinges. Each opening has a dressed-granite seat built into the deep reveal. The upper level is supported by a modern concrete ring beam which supports the exposed steel-frame roof structure.

The reconstruction of the tower, beyond the plinth and roof, prioritized the reuse of historic fabric from 1835 and 1881, with only principal material interventions dated as modern.