Appley Towers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Appley Towers |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival, Gothic Revival |
| Location | Ryde, Isle of Wight |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 50°43′26″N 1°08′38″W / 50.723779°N 1.143817°W |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Thomas Hellyer (tower folly) |
| Main contractor | Isaac Barton (tower folly) |
Appley Towers, also known as Appley Tower or Appley Tower House, was a grand English country house located near Appley, Isle of Wight. It was the home of the Hutt family, who bought it in the 1870s. Later, Sir Hedworth Williamson lived there. The main house is no longer standing, but some of its interesting buildings from the estate still exist today.
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The Main House
The Appley Towers house stood on a hill, offering amazing views of the sea. It was built in a mix of Tudor Revival and Gothic Revival styles. Imagine a house that looked a bit like an old castle, with fancy details! It even had a clock tower on its east side. Around 1870, Sir William Hutt bought the property. He then made many big changes to the house, its gardens, and the whole estate.
Other Cool Buildings
The Folly Tower
Around 1875, Sir William Hutt had a special tower built right by the beach. It was a "folly," which means it was built just for fun and decoration, not for living in. This tower looks like a small castle tower. It's round, with cool battlements at the top and a small turret. It also has a spiral staircase on the outside. The windows are designed in a Gothic style, and there's a special window that sticks out, facing the sea. This tower is still standing and is a famous landmark in the area.
Farm Buildings and Lodge
The estate also had a farm with stables and a water tower that looked like a small castle. These buildings are still around today! The old stables have even been turned into three bungalows. Another building that survives is a lodge from the 1800s on Appley Road. It was built in a unique style, mixing Jacobethan and Dutch Revival designs.
Gardens and Pier
The Appley Towers estate had beautiful gardens with many different plants. There was a large conservatory, which is like a big greenhouse, measuring about 63 by 23 feet. Near it, there was an aviary, a huge cage for birds, which housed rare parrots. There was also an orangery, a special greenhouse for growing orange trees. The main kitchen gardens, where food was grown, were across the road.
The estate also had its own pier by the early 1870s. In 1873, a new, longer pier was built, stretching 100 feet into the water. However, by the end of 1911, the pier was taken down. It had become unusable before that because sand and mud had built up around it.
