The Alcove Or Clock Tower, About 20 Metres West Of Brympton House

The Alcove, also known as The Clock Tower, is located about 20 metres west of Brympton House and was erected in 1723. It incorporates parts of a 16th or early 17th century porch that was removed from Brympton House in 1722, with the clock tower itself being added later in the 18th century. The structure is built from Ham stone ashlar and features a stone slate roof between coped gables, along with an ashlar bell turret.

The tower has a square plan with one bay on each face and stands two storeys tall, set into rising ground. The principal front faces south towards the forecourt of the house. It features a semi-circular arch on the ground floor, decorated with rusticated lozenge patterns, moulded imposts, and a keystone, flanked by Doric pilasters that support a plain entablature. The cornice continues as a string along the east and west sides. Above the arch is a small quatrefoil panel displaying the Sydenham arms upside-down, along with a clock face in the gable.

On the east side, there is a two-light chamfer-mullioned window set in a recess, with no label and unworked top mitres, featuring diamond-leaded glazing. The north side has a boarded door in a three-centre-arched opening, with a label above, accessible by a vertical timber ladder. Above this door is the bellcote, which is a simplified version of the one found at St. Andrew's Church. It has plain single openings on the east and west sides, and cruciform openings on the north and south sides, with moulded eaves and a hipped stepped stone roof. A date plaque is set high on the west wall.

The base of the tower is said to have served as a shelter for visitors' horses, and the clock is reputed to be the oldest working timepiece outside of the West Country.