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Horton Tower

Horton Tower Dorset. At 140 feet high (43 metres), as a folly it doesn't come much taller.

A folly is a building built mainly for decoration - an eye-catcher for the rich to admire from their property. They were hugely popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.

This one was built in 1750 by architect and Lord of Horton Manor, Humphrey Sturt, who was also an MP for Dorset (1745 - 1786).

Also known as Sturt's folly, the reasons for its original construction remain unclear, but one theory suggests its owner planned to use the tower as an observatory, stargazing in the night sky. #HortonTower

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Uploaded on August 30, 2017
Taken on August 26, 2017