Hadlow Castle

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Le château en bref

Hadlow Castle, also known as May's Folly, was a Romantic Gothic Revival house built in the village of Hadlow, near Tonbridge (Kent), on the site of the former Hadlow Court Lodge. Despite its name, it was never a fortress: the house, built around 1820-1830 for Walter May (born Barton, a prosperous farmer who died in 1823) and attributed to the architect J. Dugdale, was later embellished with costly additions by his son Walter Barton May. In 1838 Walter Barton May began building a spectacular octagonal tower, designed by the naval architect George Ledwell Taylor and crowned with a lantern in 1840. Built of brick rendered in Roman cement to imitate stone and about 53 m high, it was inspired by William Beckford's tower at Fonthill, which collapsed in 1825, but stands on far sounder foundations. Its exact purpose remains uncertain; it probably advertised the wealth of the family, which came partly from hop growing. The estate changed hands several times before being broken up in the early 20th century. During the Second World War the tower served as an observation post. In 1951 the house was demolished for its materials; the painter Bernard Hailstone bought the tower and the outbuildings, saving it. Listed Grade I, the tower has been restored by the Vivat Trust after a long local campaign, fitted out as holiday accommodation with a visitor centre on the ground floor; the former stables, converted into housing, are listed Grade II*.