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Absolutely stunning evening at Bradgate Park in Leicestershire. Old John Tower is on the right with the War Memorial on the left. This is the park that belonged to Lady Jane Grey.
Old John is the highest hill in Leicestershire. The earliest recorded use of the name is on a map of 1754, which records a windmill on the site, some 30 years before the tower was built. The tower itself began life as a ruined folly, built in 1784, during the time of George Grey, 5th Earl of Stamford. He got Thomas Sketchley of Anstey to build him the mock ruin, which had strong similarities to Mow Cop, Staffordshire. It was adapted in the mid-19th century by the seventh Earl to serve as an observation tower for the practice circuit he laid out for his horses, along with the building of a stable block lower down the hill. It is well known for its "mug-shape" — there was a longer section of wall adjoining the tower after the 19th century extension but this reduced in size over the years leaving the present 'handle' shape. The mug shape has given rise to false accounts of the tower's origins supposedly relating to a beer-loving miller who was killed after being hit by a pole during a bonfire [-Wiki]
The path to Sunset by Joel Spencer, on Flickr
Old John and the War Memorial by Joel Spencer, on Flickr
Old John is the highest hill in Leicestershire. The earliest recorded use of the name is on a map of 1754, which records a windmill on the site, some 30 years before the tower was built. The tower itself began life as a ruined folly, built in 1784, during the time of George Grey, 5th Earl of Stamford. He got Thomas Sketchley of Anstey to build him the mock ruin, which had strong similarities to Mow Cop, Staffordshire. It was adapted in the mid-19th century by the seventh Earl to serve as an observation tower for the practice circuit he laid out for his horses, along with the building of a stable block lower down the hill. It is well known for its "mug-shape" — there was a longer section of wall adjoining the tower after the 19th century extension but this reduced in size over the years leaving the present 'handle' shape. The mug shape has given rise to false accounts of the tower's origins supposedly relating to a beer-loving miller who was killed after being hit by a pole during a bonfire [-Wiki]
The path to Sunset by Joel Spencer, on Flickr
Old John and the War Memorial by Joel Spencer, on Flickr
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