The Towers is a Grade II* listed building in the Somerset local planning authority area, England. First listed on 28 November 1980. Gateway.
The Towers
- WRENN ID
- turning-plinth-plum
- Grade
- II*
- Local Planning Authority
- Somerset
- Constituency
- Glastonbury and Somerton MP: Sarah Dyke (LD)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 28 November 1980
- Type
- Gateway
- Address
- The Towers, Bruton
- OS grid reference
- ST 685 324
- Coordinates
- 51.09064, -2.45058
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
This is a monumental gateway, likely dating from the late 18th century. Constructed from coursed and dressed limestone with Doulting stone dressings, it features no roof. The design is in the Gothick style. The gateway comprises twin circular turrets, each with a pointed Y-tracery opening containing iron grilles facing the roadside, and a pointed arched opening on the opposite side. Below a cornice with a pear-drop frieze, there are quatrefoil openings, and above, castellated parapets, which are continued along the full-height link wall between the turrets. A large central pointed archway is flanked by shields bearing the Ilchester arms. Curved sweep walls extend to either side, terminating in octagonal ashlar piers with plinths and coved projecting caps. The gateway was built by Lord Ilchester as the principal entrance to Redlynch Park, and was likely intended to impress George III, who frequently visited the area on his journeys to Weymouth. Henry-Thomas, who succeeded to the title in 1776, built the gateway following his father’s elevation to the peerage as Lord Ilchester in 1741.
Local climate
The Towers receives an average of 860 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 60% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 65% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 34 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 52% of listed buildings. Of these, 14 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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