Description

ST 10 SE OFFWELL HONITON HILL

1/104 Bishops Tower
-
22.2.55
- II

Folly tower. Circa 1843 at the cost of the Reverend E. Copleston, Bishop of
Llandaff and Dean of St. Pauls. Local stone rubble with rusticated grey-coloured
limestone quoins and ashlar detail, the stone is facing brick. Italiante style. 6-
storey high viewing tower facing south-east with a semi-hexagonal newel stair turret
projecting from the left (south-west) side up to third floor level. All the rooms
are heated by a rear lateral stack. On the front there is a single casement with
glazing bars on ground floor and first floor levels. There is a dripcourse right
round the building at second floor level and a large round-headed double arch with
imposts and keystone. The window contains Y-tracery glazing bars and there is a
stone balcony on shaped brackets. There is another similar window on the right
(north-east) side. Above is a narrow round-headed lancet and there are more on the
other walls. The top of the tower is machicolated with a series of shaped corbels.
Around the top is a balcony of ornate wrought iron railings. On the top is a small
square block, open each side with imposts and keystones. It too has machicolated
top with an ornate wrought iron parapet and it is surmounted by a wrought iron
weathervane. The interior is plainly finished.
This tower was erected partly to provide local employment but also, it is said, that
Bishop Copleston might view his diocese of Llandaff across the Bristol Channel. The
bishop is responsible for a lot of new building in Offwell around the 1840's.

Listing NGR: ST1832100505

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26398108

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas