UK gothic tower that's tallest in the world now for sale - what it's like inside

Daily Record

7 days ago

The amazing tower, which dates back to the 18th century, is currently up for sale through estate agents Fine & Country for £2,780,000.
A 175-foot tall tower is on the market as a family home for £2.78 million. The Grade I-listed Hadlow Tower, which is known as 'May's Folly' to locals, is the tallest gothic folly in the world and features four bedrooms spread across five floors.
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Having undergone a £4.2 million restoration in 2013, the tower stands six feet taller than Nelson's Column and is surrounded by private gardens, woodlands, and even a charming lake. It also has a parapet that offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the lovely Hadlow village in Tonbridge, Kent.
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Even though it looks like it's straight out of a fantasy book, this historic tower has all the modern amenities of a family home. Once part of a Romantic Gothic style 18th-century castle, you can enter the tower through a triple-arched entrance located on the village high street.
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A winding private road leads you to this stunning tower, complete with a parking area and a grand walled courtyard. There are also ancillary buildings that have been transformed into six private residences, whose owners, along with the tower's tenant, take care of the shared grounds featuring expansive lawns, trees, and a lake surrounded by vibrant shrubs.
The octagonal tower has three entrances. The main entrance features a double-height arched front door that opens into a lobby with an original brick floor, a reception hall with terracotta flooring, and a lift that services the first four floors. Additionally, there's a utility room, a cloakroom, a boiler room, a boot cupboard, a pair of original oak external doors, and access to both the main circular staircase and an outer circular stone staircase.
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The first floor has an octagonal dining room, a cool arched recess, and sculpted oak doors from the original castle. It opens into a small hallway with the main staircase and doors that lead to a triple-aspect kitchen/breakfast room featuring stained glass windows also from the original castle.
One level up, gothic casement windows look into the drawing room, showcasing the exposed beams and a brick arched fireplace. Steps lead down to a double bedroom and its en-suite. The main stone staircase takes you up to another double bedroom, while oak steps lead to the principal suite, which has exposed beams, storage space, and a modern en-suite.
On the fourth floor, the last double bedroom has an octagonal dressing room with a walk-in wardrobe, oak stairs leading to a bathroom, and a door opening to the castellated roof terrace, which provides breathtaking views of the countryside. The floor above features a convenient study area, and there's external access to the castellated parapet.
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Local legends say that the tower's backstory is tied to its former owner, Walter Barton May, who had a habit of spying on his estranged wife and her new boyfriend. After May's wife eloped with a local farmer, he constructed the tower next to the family castle - which was built by his dad - to keep an eye on her and her new partner.
But May wasn't happy with how tall the tower was, so he later added a 40-foot 'lantern' on top. The tower suffered significant damage during the Great Storm of 1987, and the lantern was taken down in 1996.
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After falling into a state of neglect, the tower received a £4.2 million makeover in 2013, thanks to funding from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Its restoration earned several Historic England Angel Awards and the Lloyd-Webber Angel Award. In 2011, a precise replica of the original lantern that was lost in the 1987 storm was installed.
The tower's current owner explained that though he and his family had been privileged to live at Hadlow Tower for the past few years, his work was taking him abroad, meaning he'd have to part ways with the home. He said: "My family and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time here, including the peaceful and tranquil environment.
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"Although where we are is private and peaceful, Hadlow high street is at the end of the lane. This charming village is in a Conservation area and includes many attractive period properties and a variety of shops, pubs, hairdressers, a restaurant, a church, a library and a medical centre.
"For the more energetic, there are cricket and bowls clubs as well as a good primary school and the renowned Hadlow College of Agriculture and Horticulture, which includes the Broadview Gardens complex that has a tearoom and florist and where you can enjoy wandering around the grounds.
"Other facilities are available in nearby Tonbridge," he said. "Including excellent grammar and private schools, independent shops and high street stores, pubs, restaurants, a theatre and the station, where trains to London take around 30 to 40 minutes.
"There is also the Tonbridge School leisure club, while for golfing enthusiasts there are numerous golf clubs and courses within a radius of nine miles around Hadlow, including the local Poult Wood Public Golf Centre."