Clavell Tower

Clavell Tower is a folly and observatory, now used as holiday accommodation, built between 1830 and 1831 by Robert Vining for the Reverend John Richards Clavell. It was re-sited and restored in the early 21st century.

The tower is constructed of rendered brick and coursed local stone rubble, with ashlar dressings, sitting on a concrete foundation. It features early 21st century timber sash windows and has a circular plan with three storeys plus a semi-basement.

The basement projects forward from the main structure and includes strip pilasters and stone mullioned windows. An entrance on the north-east side is flanked by Tuscan columns that support two flights of cantilevered Portland stone steps leading to the ground floor. The ground floor is encircled by a Tuscan colonnade of twelve columns that align with the pilasters below. It has a simple entablature topped with a parapet decorated with pierced quatrefoils. The ground floor also features a round-headed doorway and three round-headed windows. The two upper storeys are separated by a stone stringcourse, each with four round-arched windows aligned with the cardinal points. The parapet includes false machicolations and a frieze of pierced quatrefoils.

The interior was not inspected in 2014. Before restoration, the staircase and roof timbers were missing, but the teak joists largely survived, with some replacements. The stairs and roof timbers have since been replaced, and new fireplaces and joinery have been added. The basement retains its original floor made of Purbeck stone.