Pepper Pot, Brighton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pepper Pot
The building from the west
Location	Tower Road, Queen's Park, Brighton, City of Brighton and Hove, England
Built	1830
Built for	Thomas Attree
Restored	2011
Restored by	Brighton and Hove City Council
Architect	Charles Barry
Architectural style(s)	Classical
Governing body	Brighton and Hove City Council
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name: The Tower or Pepper Pot
Designated	13 October 1952
Reference no.	1381031
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The Pepper Pot is a unique and historic building in the Queen's Park area of Brighton and Hove. It is also known by other names like the Pepperpot, the Pepper Box, or just The Tower. This special building was designed by the famous architect Charles Barry and built in 1830. It stood in the large gardens of a grand house called Attree Villa. Even though the villa was later taken down, the Pepper Pot is still standing today!

No one is completely sure what the Pepper Pot was first used for. People have suggested many different ideas for its original purpose. Over the years, it has been used for many different things. Today, the local council owns it. It is protected as a Grade II listed building, which means it is an important historical site.

History of the Pepper Pot

Queen's Park was created in 1824 in the eastern part of Brighton. Brighton had become a very popular holiday spot. People believed it was a healthy place to visit, especially after the Prince Regent and other members of the Royal Family started visiting.

In 1825, a property owner named Thomas Attree bought the park. He hired Charles Barry, a well-known architect, to design a large house for him. This house, called Attree Villa, was one of the first buildings in England to be built in the Italianate style. Barry also designed the Pepper Pot at the same time. The villa was later used as a college, but it became very old and was taken down in 1972.

Most parts of the villa are gone now, but the Pepper Pot is still here! It was built in the western part of the villa's grounds. Its first job is still a bit of a mystery. Some ideas include:

• A water tower for the villa.
• A vent for the large Victorian sewers under Brighton.
• An observatory for looking at the stars.
• Or even just a folly, which is a building built just for decoration.

In 2011, new research suggested that the tower stood over a well. It might have had a steam engine inside to pump water out. In an old book from 1836, it was called "Belvedere Tower." Its current name, "Pepper Pot," comes from its shape, which looks like a pepper shaker.

The Pepper Pot has had many different uses since Thomas Attree owned it. In 1863, George Duddell bought the land. He used the Pepper Pot to print his local newspaper, the Brighton Daily Mail. A few years later, the Brighton Corporation (like today's city council) took over the building.

During World War II, the military used the 60-foot (18-meter) tall building as a lookout post. After the war, it became the headquarters for a Scout troop. It was also used as an artist's studio. In the 1960s, an extension was added to its base, and it was even used as a public toilet!

The Pepper Pot was officially named a Grade II listed building on October 13, 1952. This means it is protected because of its historical importance.

Architecture of the Pepper Pot

The Pepper Pot is a round building with ten sides. It is about 60 feet (18 meters) tall and stands on an eight-sided base. At the very top, it has a small dome called a cupola and a green metal urn. There are 11 decorative columns around the outside.

The tower has four main parts:

• The lowest part is the eight-sided base. This part was extended in the 1960s when toilets were added.
• The second part is short and round. It has a decorative edge called a cornice at the top.
• The third part is where the columns go all the way up. Between each column at the top of this section, there is a small window.
• The top part has another decorative section called an entablature and a cornice. Above the columns, there are 11 flat, decorative columns called pilasters. Another entablature sits below the round cupola.

The design of the Pepper Pot was inspired by an ancient Greek monument in Athens called the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates. Many British architects copied this design in the Neoclassical style.

When the building was first listed, people thought it was made of cement. However, during restoration work in 2011, experts discovered something amazing! The inside of the Pepper Pot is made of a very early type of concrete. It was called "Ranger's Artificial Stone" or "Ranger's Lime Concrete." This makes the Pepper Pot one of the oldest buildings in England to use this special material. William Ranger, a builder from a nearby village, invented this concrete in the early 1800s.

Restoration Plans

In January 2010, a group called the Friends of the Pepperpot was formed. Their goal is to help protect the Pepper Pot and find new ways for people to use it.

In May 2011, the Brighton and Hove City Council spent about £50,000 to repair the outside of the building. At the same time, the Friends of the Pepperpot group announced some ideas for what the building could become. They thought it could be a bed and breakfast, a community center, or even a café. They were talking with the city council about possibly taking over the building.

In September 2011, it was clear that more work was needed on the building's structure. The total cost could be around £100,000, or even more if the inside was also restored. Important historical groups like English Heritage and The Georgian Group worked with the Friends of the Pepperpot and the city council to decide what should happen next for this special building.