Charborough Tower, follies and folly towers at follytowers.com (original) (raw)

C h a r b o r o u g h

T o w e r

Looking back to the house from the tower.

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It is generally accepted by Thomas Hardy scholars and enthusiasts [ of which I am neither ] that "Two on a Tower" was written with Charborough Tower as the model for the observatory mentioned in the novel.
The story starts with Lady Constantine observing a mysterious column on a hilltop, whilst out for a carriage ride.
Later when she visits the site, the column turns out to be a tower which is used for astronomical observations by a certain Swithin St Cleeve, who in turn becomes her lover.
He is not only 10 years younger than Constantine, but naturally - as in any romantic novel [ not that I read them ! ] - he is also from a lower social class.

In a later preface that Hardy wrote for "Two on a Tower" he stated :-

"The scene of the action was suggested by two real spots in the part of the country specified, each of which has a column standing upon it. Certain surrounding peculiarities have been imported into the narrative from both sites."

This was added in July 1895, 13 years after the original publication of the book.

Thomas Hardy would have undoubtedly seen Charborough Tower during his time in this part of the world.
He moved back to Dorset permanently, to set up house, at nearby Max Gate in 1885 and then staying there until his death in 1928.

It is generally supposed that Charborough was one of these 'columns' that he mentions in his preface, although he seems confused on the difference between a tower and a column.
The novel also makes it clear that the roof was accessible by a trapdoor :-

"The staircase was lighted by slits in the wall, and there was no difficulty in reaching the top, the steps being quite unworn. The trap-door leading on to the roof was open, and on looking through it an interesting spectacle met her eye. A youth was sitting on a stool in the centre of the lead flat which formed the summit of the column, his eye being applied to the end of a large telescope that stood before him on a tripod."

As can be seen, Hardy specifically states a 'column', but his mention of the 'lead flat' and a trap-door to access it, are indicative of a tower.

In 1895 a Mr (Henry) Macbeth Raeburn who specialised in producing etchings for Bookplates, was engaged by Hardy's publishers, to illustrate various locations used in the Wessex Novels.
Raeburn subsequently went to Charborough Park, but found access to the private estate difficult. After having bluffed his way in, and whilst surreptitiously making a drawing, he was confronted by the estate bailiff. Fortunately for Raeburn, they both had common roots coming from the same part of Scotland, so Raeburn was allowed to make his sketch without the knowledge of the estate owner, and it was later used by the publishers as an illustration.

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