The Tower

The Tower is a hunting lodge or plaisance built around 1720 for Lord Ducie. It is constructed from hard grey ashlar limestone and features a flat roof that was not inspected. The building has a simple rectangular plan and is two stories high with a cellar at the base. The base is heavily battered and made of roughly hewn large random rubble. The elevations above the base are simple, with two windows on the east and west sides and a single window on the north and south sides, all featuring triple keystones and plain raised architraves. The windows on the south end and the southerly side are early 18th-century sashes with thick ovolo glazing bars, consisting of 15 panes on the ground floor and 9 panes above. Other ground floor openings have cross windows, while the upper floor features 2-light mullioned casements. There is a large doorway on the north side that has been partially infilled with a later doorway and a small gabled porch addition. The corners of the building have plain pilasters. The parapet, which was formerly crenellated, has been removed on all sides except for the north side. A central square turret with a chimney rises from the roof. Inside, the building is divided in half to create two good-sized rooms on the ground floor, with the southern room featuring a stone fireplace with eared architraves. The interior has undergone much early Victorian re-fitting. The Tower stands on a ridge, overlooking Woodchester Park.