Alfred'S Tower

Alfred's Tower is a commemorative tower and folly built in 1766. It features Flemish bond brickwork with red stretchers and grey headers, along with Chilmark stone dressings. The tower has a triangular shape with circular turrets at each corner, and each side measures about 13 metres long. It stands four stages high, reaching a total height of around 40 metres. The structure includes a stepped stone plinth, string courses, a cornice, and battlemented parapets.

The South West turret is a taller stair turret that has small lancet windows—two on the outer sides and three on the middle stages. It also features a corbelled balcony without a railing, leading to a small circular chamber with open slit windows. The North East face has a plain pointed arch surrounding the doorway, which is framed by plinth and impost blocks, and contains 20th-century metal doors. Above the doorway is a trefoil arch-headed panel with an inscription that reads: "ALFRED THE GREAT/AD 879 on this Summit/Erected his Standard/Against Danish Invaders/To him we owe the origin of (juries)/The Establishment of (a militia)/The Creation of a Naval Force/ALFRED The Lion of a (benighted) Age/Was a Philosopher and a Christian/The Father of his People/The Founder of the English/MONARCHY and LIBERTY."

Above this inscription, there is a corbelled plinth at the first string course level that serves as the base for a segmental niche with triple column pilasters and a canopy, topped with poppy head finials. Within the recess is a more than life-size statue of King Alfred in semi-armour, although the right forearm is currently missing as of September 1983. The tower was built by Henry Hoare (the Younger) of Stourhead, Wiltshire, as part of the many features on that estate.