Tuesday morning we took cabs to the outskirts of Bath to see Beckford's Tower. Its one of the 4 sites managed by Bath Preservation Trust- An important partner of OPP. Amy Frost has been waist-deep in so many projects on these sites for years now. She led us through the history of the tower, Beckford's biography, how the Bath Preservation Trust works, and a workshop on site survey and preservation planning.
Beckford was a rich bisexual introvert who loved books and his dog, Tiny. He built this tower between 1826 and 1827, not too far from his home so he could ride his horse here and read the literal thousands of books he kept here. He also collected extensively. This tower was an opulent display of his art and furniture and he used it as a retreat (man cave). He built the tower on one of Bath's busiest roads but was intensely private and rarely let others in. What a power play.
The tower is 120 feet tall and has 154 stairs to an octagonal belvedere with gilded columns. We got to go all the way to the top! The last 15 feet or so was really tight and had low timbers so we had to wear hardhats. You'll also be proud to know I went up even after the warning of spiders being everywhere.
The cemetery is right next to the tower. After Beckford passed the tower was used as a chapel for the parish of Walcot and over 5,000 graves were made. Beckford himself is laid here in a pink marble tomb on its own island. It's said he was buried next to his dog Tiny but no evidence has been found.
Museum Professional. Traveler. Cat lover.
