Beckford's Tower and Museum

Beckford's Tower is a slender classical folly perched on Lansdown Hill just outside Bath, built in 1827 by William Beckford — novelist, art collector, and one of the most eccentric figures of the English Regency. After selling his extravagant Fonthill Abbey in Wiltshire, Beckford commissioned the tower as a private retreat and viewpoint, filling it with carefully chosen art and spending his final years here. He is buried in the adjoining Lansdown Cemetery, in a pink granite sarcophagus he personally selected. The ground floor now houses a small museum dedicated to Beckford's life and collections, while a narrow spiral staircase leads to a belvedere with wide views across Bath and the Avon valley. The tower and cemetery together are listed Grade I by English Heritage and are included in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.