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King Alfred's Tower

Alfred the GreatFolly towers in EnglandGrade I listed buildings in South SomersetGrade I listed monuments and memorialsGrade I listed towers
Monuments and memorials in SomersetNational Trust properties in SomersetObservation towers in the United KingdomTourist attractions in SomersetTowers completed in 1772Towers in SomersetUse British English from July 2022
King Alfred's Tower view from west
King Alfred's Tower view from west

Alfred's Tower is a folly in Somerset, England, on the edge of the border with Wiltshire, on the Stourhead estate. The tower stands on Kingsettle Hill and belongs to the National Trust. It is designated as a Grade I listed building. Henry Hoare II planned the tower in the 1760s to commemorate the end of the Seven Years' War against France and the accession of King George III, and it was erected near the site of Egbert's Stone, where it is believed that Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, rallied the Anglo-Saxons in 878 before the Battle of Edington. The tower was damaged by an aeroplane in 1944 and restored in the 1980s. The 49-metre-high (161 ft) triangular tower has a hollow centre and is climbed by means of a spiral staircase in one of the corner projections. It has a statue of King Alfred and a dedication inscription.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article King Alfred's Tower (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

King Alfred's Tower
Tower Road,

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Wikipedia: King Alfred's TowerContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 51.1148273 ° E -2.3650446 °
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King Alfred's Tower (The Folly of King Alfred the Great;Stourton Tower)

Tower Road
BA12 6QX , Brewham
England, United Kingdom
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King Alfred's Tower view from west
King Alfred's Tower view from west
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Stavordale Priory
Stavordale Priory

Stavordale Priory near Charlton Musgrove, Somerset, England was built as a priory of Augustinian canons in the 13th century and was converted into a private residence after the suppression of the monastery in 1538. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.The original priory for Augustinian canons was founded by a member of the Lovel family, in 1243, probably following an endowment by Henry, Lord Lovel, who died about 1199.The list of Augustinian Priors of Stavordale Priory includes one 'John' Bodman who died there, as Prior, in 1361. Closer examination of the (Latin) primary source for this reference, however, reveals that his name was not, in fact, given as the English form 'John' but Johannis, the Latin form of Johannes. This appears to be the earliest historical record in England of a Johannes Bodman, and it is possible that he was a scion of the ancient, noble house of the Ritter von Bodman (also Freiherren and Grafen von und zu Bodman), who lived then and still live today at Bodman am Bodensee. However the name 'Johannis' is the Latin form for 'John' as well as 'Johannes' and there is little reason to create a German link to the prior. The bell tower is known to have existed by 1374, and the church was refitted and rebuilt around 1439. The chantry of Jesus was described as having been "recently completed" in 1526. It is thought to be linked to the village's old church near the altar by a tunnel, perhaps used as a priest's escape route, some two miles in length. Again there is no evidence or reason for such a 'tunnel' escape route. It was converted around the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, after the priory merged with Taunton in 1533.It was restored and extended by Thomas Edward Collcutt in 1905 for Mr. F.G. Sage.It is now owned by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. The gardens of Stavordale Priory were featured in the 2017 book The Secret Gardeners by Victoria Summerley and photographer Hugo Rittson Thomas.