Rosettes project is a tall order


RESIDENTS are being given the chance to spon- sor a rosette as part of the restoration of the his- toric Hadlow Tower. Work has been taking place on the iconic 19th century Grade I listed tower for the past year and the cement rosettes will form one of the finishing touches to the £4m project,which has been funded largely by a Lottery Fund grant, plus donations from English Heritage, the Architectural Heritage Fund, KCC and the Country Houses Association. The rosettes appear on three levels, in rows containing seven pieces, across each of the eight faces of the octagonal tower, which is considered one of the finest examples of Romantic Gothic ar- chitecture in Britain. Each rosette costs £25 and has a unique num-


ber. Sponsors will receive a certificate that in- cludes instructions on how to identify the position of their rosette on the tower. The campaign to preserve the tower began more


than 10 years ago by the local community, which formed the Save Hadlow Tower Action Group. The Vivat Trust, a building preservation trust


and national charity, took on the project in Feb- ruary last year to restore the tower and offer high quality holiday accommodation in conjunction with public access. The project is due for completion early next


year and the first visitors are expected to be able to climb the tower to see a 360-degree view across the Kent countryside by Easter 2013. SHTAG is designing and will manage the tower’s visitor centre,which will be at the base of the folly and open for 28 days each year. SHTAG hopes to include artefacts, photos and


a CAD re-creation of the original castle, plus audio-visual displays, tactile models and audio guides, as well as a tour of the restored gardens with a small lake and woodland walk. Although the tower was built for ostentation,


not habitation, it was partly converted for resi- dential use in the mid 1970s. As part of the restoration, the 40ft “lantern” is


being reinstated and the exterior returned to its Victorian splendour using materials compatible with the original structure. A new steel core will be incorporated to strengthen the building and new staircases in- stalled in the upper storeys to replace the dan- gerous wooden originals. The holiday accommodation will cater for six people who will have exclusive use of the tower during their stay. Because of the tower’s unusual shape, rooms


will be on several levels, reached by two integral spiral staircases and a newly installed lift in one of the buttresses and each octagonal room will have several unique views. When there are no guests in residence, visitors


will be able to visit the tower in its entirety. Vivat Trust director Laura Norris said: “The


Vivat Trust is truly delighted to be involved with the Hadlow Tower project, which would not have been possible without the support of the Save Hadlow Tower Action Group and Tonbridge and Malling Council.”


Hadlow Tower will be open for visitors and paying guests once restoration is complete


Concerns over ‘catalogue’ development REVISED plans for new homes at the former Invicta Works at Mill Street, East Malling, have been agreed by Tonbridge andMalling Council. Developer Clarendon Homes now proposes to build nine family homes on part


of the sitewhere amix of terraced houses and flats had previously been approved. East Malling Conservation Group said it was disappointed that the original scheme had been watered down with “catalogue” type housing and that the much- needed two-bedroom accommodation in the village had been replaced with three and four-bedroom properties.


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