Hadlow Castle - Tower

Tower

Hadlow Tower, 51°13′21″N 0°20′20″E / 51.2225°N 0.3388°E / 51.2225; 0.3388 known locally as May's Folly, is a Victorian Gothic tower, and one of the largest in Britain. The top 40 feet (12 m) - an octagonal lantern - has had to be removed for safety reasons, but plans are in hand to replace it. The Grade I listed tower was badly damaged in the Great Storm of 1987, and the lantern was removed in 1996. Its condition has worsened rapidly. The cost of repairs is estimated at £4 million. In July 2006, Tonbridge and Malling borough council announced that it would issue a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on the tower in an effort to save it. This CPO was confirmed in March 2008 by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with plans for the council to take possession of the Tower and transfer it to the Vivat Trust in late 2009, so that the necessary repair and restoration work can be undertaken, which will include short-term holiday accommodation, with a separate exhibition centre on part of the ground floor.

In January 2011, it was announced that the tower had been compulsorily purchased by Tonbridge and Malling District Council, who were to sell it to the Vivat Trust for £1. Restoration of the tower, including the replacement of the lantern would commence in February 2011, with completion scheduled for September 2012. The project will be funded by grants from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The latter has granted £2,000,000 of the estimated £4,000,000 restoration cost. When restored, the tower will offer holiday accommodation, with public exhibition space on the ground floor. On 24 February 2011, Hadlow Castle was transferred to the Vivat Trust.