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 King Alfred's Tower was built in 1772 by Henry Flitcroft. It is a triangular red brick folly, 49 metres (approx 160ft) high. It was built in memory of King Alfred the Great, the last remaining Saxon king holding out against the Danes. Originally the tower stood on the borders of three counties: Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset. |
You have to make an effort for the views though: There are 206 steps to climb on the narrow stairs to the top of the tower. They are quite worn out in places and only the occasional window gives a little bit of light.
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 Due to county reforms this is not the case any more, although the views still go to all three counties. Above left towards Wiltshire, left towards Dorset and right towards Somerset. |
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 From King Alfred's Tower you can walk over the Stourhead Estate to Stourhead House and Stourhead Garden. There are various ways, either through woodlands (left) or along The Terrace Walk (right), the distance being approx two miles. It took me approx 30-45 minutes one way. There's no public transport between the two places to my knowledge, so keep in mind that you will have to walk both ways when planning your visit. I recommend to park at the tower, walk the Terrace Walk to Stourhead House and Garden and then return via the walk through the woodlands. |
