Hundreds of visitors have taken advantage of a once a year opportunity to look round the Landmark Trust’s Clavell Tower at Kimmeridge in Dorset, as part of the Heritage Open Days event.
Historic buildings and landmarks, many of which are normally closed to the public, throw open their doors on select dates every September to give free access to all.
The four storey Clavell Tower is normally only open to those who let it for a holiday
A special place in Thomas Hardy’s heart
The Clavell Tower, which sits high on the cliffs above Kimmeridge Bay, is a holiday let which is so popular that currently it is fully booked until the end of December 2027.
But for one weekend every year, it is opened up to the public to explore its four levels and outdoor balconies with some of the finest 360 degree views of Purbeck.
The circular tower, built in 1830 as an observatory, later served as a navigation marker for sailors and, according to Dorset legend, for smugglers operating along the Jurassic coast.
Clavell Tower also held a special place in the heart of Dorset author Thomas Hardy, who visited the site on romantic walks with his first love, Eliza Bright Nichols, the daughter of a Kimmeridge coastguard.
Hardy even included a hand drawn illustration of the tower in his published book of Wessex Poems.
The tower’s balcony views over Kimmeridge Bay are outstanding
Damaged in a fire
In the early 20th century, the tower was used by coastguards until it was damaged in a fire, and the ruins later became the inspiration for PD James’s novel The Black Tower.
By the 1980s, coastal erosion had left Clavell Tower so close to the edge of the cliff that it was in serious danger of crashing down into the sea below.
Philip Mansel, the current owner of Smedmore House and a historian related by marriage to the Clavell family, set up the Clavell Tower Trust in 1995 to save the building by moving it 25 metres further inland.
English Heritage agreed to the principle of relocation, but the project proved very costly and in 2002, the Clavell Tower Trust approached the Landmark Trust for help.
By 2002, the abandoned and damaged tower was desperately close to falling into the sea
“Dismantled brick by brick”
Natalie Craven, Landmark Trust engagement officer, said:
“The splendour of the Jurassic Coast brought designation as a World Heritage site, but its rocks crumble easily and there is no remedy for that.
“By 2002, Clavell Tower was very close to the edge of the cliff and desperate remedies were needed if it was not to be lost forever, so the tower was carefully dismantled brick by brick and rebuilt further inland before being restored for use as a holiday property.
“We are a conservation charity with an extraordinary collection of historic buildings available for unique holidays, and open days are a vital part of our work of engaging people with these sites and the restoration work it takes to save and convert them for modern use.
“For heritage open days we usually open around 15 landmarks across England, including priories, follies, castles, towers and forts to raise awareness of our work, and recruit new supporters – September is really busy for us!”
A team of skilled historical architects spent two years removing the tower brick by brick and rebuilding it 25 metres further inland
“The location is stunning”
Natalie added:
“Clavell Tower is one of our more unusual properties and definitely one of our most popular. People have to be really organised and think far ahead to have a holiday here, as soon as we release new dates they get booked really quickly.
“But the location is stunning – being able to stare out at the sea while lying in bed is quite spectacular.
“As our buildings are usually occupied by holiday guests, open days provide an opportunity for the public to gain access to some extraordinary places in our care.
“Families will often spend the whole day at one of our sites, bring a picnic, explore the grounds and make themselves at home. A free family day out is becoming a very rare thing, with entry prices to heritage attractions now out of reach for so many people.
“Having access to heritage at a young age can leave a lasting impression, and these open days definitely enable families to do that.”
The bedroom is ideally placed for stargazing on quiet nights
The tower’s kitchen does have some mod cons, but don’t expect any wifi
A lounge is right at the top of the tower and provides a perfect place to chill – without the Netflix
Best suited to hardier visitors
Clavell Tower has four floors, with a different room on each – a bathroom with a shower at the bottom, a fully equipped kitchen above, a bedroom on the second floor with access to a balcony which encircles the whole tower, and a lounge at the top of the tower, with spectacular views.
However, some modern conveniences, like television, hairdryers and wifi, are missing and make for a true ‘away from it all’ break.
The tower can only be reached on foot via a steep path with around 100 steps, up which luggage and provisions have to be carried, and its exposed coastal setting means it is best suited to hardier visitors, according to the Landmark Trust.
But its location makes this an extraordinary destination in sun or storm, where changing light, weather and sea conditions can all be watched from a cosy tower, as the visitor book testifies, filled with glowing guest reviews and many watercolour paintings left behind by visitors.
The view from the top of Clavell Tower on a fine September day
The tower is reached by 100 steep steps, leading one guest to use the visitors’ book to suggest an improvement – a travellator
The open weekend saw a steady stream of visitors arrive at the cliff top property
Heritage Open Days continue
Heritage Open Days continue until Sunday 20th September 2026, with some of the more local attractions including
- Swanage Town Hall, open on week days until Friday 18th September 2026 to visitors from 10 am until 4 pm. Built in 1882, the town hall incorporates the front of the Mercer’s Hall from Cheapside in London, designed by Edward Jarman, a contemporary of Sir Christopher Wren, in 1668. The interior, which is on view, includes the foyer, staircase and council chamber, and a small collection of paintings of old Swanage is also on display.
- Purbeck Mining Museum at Norden, open on Saturday 19th September 2026 from 11 am until 4 pm, dedicated to the history and heritage of Purbeck ball clay mining and its industrial narrow gauge railways. Find out more about the lives of miners and their families, experience what it was like inside a Purbeck clay mine and view the underground tunnel.
- Knoll Beach, Studland, on Sunday 20th September from 10 am until 4 pm, an exhibition on the wrecks of Studland Bay at the Discovery Centre. Find out about the 17th century Swash Channel wreck, the Fame of Hoorn, and the 13th century mortar ship wreck, and learn about the age of Purbeck industry, when the area produced most of Europe’s with marble.
- Corfe Castle, entry is free to the National Trust property on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September 2026. Discover 900 years of history on a storytelling tour with the Keeper of the Castle, explore the castle mound on an ecology walk, find out about puffins, peregrines and beavers with the countryside team, meet some stonecarvers and have a go at fun archery.
- Upton House, open to everyone on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September 2026 from 10 am until 4 pm, with guided tours to tell the story of its families and the staff who lived there, along with a display of wedding dresses through time and the stories of the brides who wore them, put on by Arts University Bournemouth.
- Tolpuddle Old Chapel, open on Thursday 17th September from 10 am until 12 noon and on Saturday 19th September 2026 from 10 am until 4pm, with its connections to the Tolpuddle Martyrs, six farm workers who protested about starvation wages, were transported to Australia for their ‘crimes’ and sparked a protest which changed workers’ rights forever.
- Nothe Fort Cold War bunker at Weymouth, open all day on Sunday 20th September 2026, where you can explore normally closed underground areas and discover how the fort was intended to operate during one of the tensest periods of the 20th century.
Swanage Town Hall incorporates the front of the Mercer’s Hall from Cheapside in London
The Purbeck Mining Museum at Norden will show what it was like inside a clay mine
Corfe Castle is free to visit over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday 19th and 20th September 2026 as part of Heritage Open Days
Learn about the shipwrecks of Studland Bay at an exhibition in the Discovery Centre at Knoll Beach
Further information
- Find out more about Heritage Open Days on its website
