High above Newby Bridge in Cumbria (formerly Lancashire) stands Finsthwaite Tower. When first built it was a prominent landmark on a bare hill, and commanded an extensive prospect of sea, lake and mountains. The tower was built by James King of Finsthwaite House as an ornament to the landscape, and as a monument to naval prowess. And to start 2022 with some really good news, after decades of decay the tower has a new owner, and a new lease of life.
The first mention of the tower is in November 1797, when the writer Joseph Budworth mentions it in his poem Windermere. Looking down the lake to Finsthwaite he could see the building site on Water Side Knott (later also known as Summer House Knott), knott being the local name for a hill. Budworth looked south:
To where that rising structure boldly stands
And all around a bird’s-eye view commands
In a footnote to the poem Budworth noted that the tower was to honour the three new naval victories gained by the Admirals Howe, St Vincent, and Duncan. These were respectively the celebrated defeats of the French on the ‘Glorious first of June’ 1794, the Franco-Spanish fleet at Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797, and the Dutch navy at Camperdown on 11 October 1797. As building work neared completion in November 1798 a further victory could be added to the list – the defeat of the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile on 2 August, under the command of Admiral Nelson.
The architect is not recorded but was most likely Francis Webster of Kendal – the Webster workshop certainly provided masons. The team were about to start work on the inscribed plaque when news of victory at the Battle of the Nile arrived, and they requested ‘the pleasure of ingraving the name of Nelson along with the other Admirals who have done honor to the British Flag’. Inspired perhaps by exhortations in the national press to consider all four victories as ‘one great link of our national glory’, King eventually decided not to acknowledge named officers and individual battles, but to celebrate instead the massed ranks of sailors and their achievements. When completed in 1799 the tower carried this inscription:
ERECTED
To Honor the
Officers, Seamen and Marines,
Of the
ROYAL NAVY,
whose matchlefs Conduct, and
irresistible Valour, decisively defeated
the Fleets of France, Spain, and Holland,
and preserved and protected
LIBERTY and COMMERCE.
1799
The plaque, which survives, was originally surrounded by a ‘well designed ornament of naval trophies’; remnants of these carvings are visible on old postcards, not clear enough to define, but likely to include appurtenances of war such as flags, anchors, cannon-balls, coils of rope and prows of ships. The tower originally carried a flagpole, and a contemporary watercolour (private collection, not shown) shows it with a large pennant flying.
The postcards also show that the tower was originally of three storeys, and commanded ‘a prospect of great extent and beauty’. The view was panoramic, but the key vistas were north up Windermere and a sweeping southerly view with Morecambe Bay in the distance. Remnants of ornamental planting survive, suggesting that a small pleasure ground was created around the temple.
King (c.1755-1821) was a partner in the Low Wood Gunpowder Company, based close to Finsthwaite, and would have been very aware of the importance of the navy in protecting trade routes from the enemy and from privateers. Low Wood’s gunpowder was one of the main goods exported on the triangular trading route, also known as the slave trade. Gunpowder would leave Liverpool on ships bound for Africa where slaves would become the new cargo. The slaves would be transported to America and the West Indies, and the ships then returned to Liverpool with a cargo including luxury goods for the British upper classes including sugar, liquor and spices. The importance of these exotics to the local economy can be seen to this day with tourists seeking out Kendal Mint Cake, Cumberland Rum Butter, and Grasmere Gingerbread.
On a more personal level, King was aware of the perils and hardships of life at sea as his father was a naval surgeon who sailed on a number of voyages. Some early visitors believed the tower commemorated ‘Captain King’.
By the end of the eighteenth century the on-going war had been commemorated with numerous portraits and statues of patriotic heroes, but there were few large-scale monuments. The national papers published proposals in 1799 for a ‘Grand Naval Pillar […] to perpetuate the glorious victories of the British Navy’, although it was 1807 before the foundation stone was laid for the Nelson memorial column at Plymouth (and Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square would not be built until the 1840s). King’s tribute was complete before the appeal for a national monument even appeared, making it possibly the first major British monument to commemorate the naval victories of the French Revolutionary Wars.
After walking up to the tower in the middle of the nineteenth century one visitor noted that the tower commemorated more than just naval heroes – the ‘inside walls [were] written over with names and nameless rhymes’, by the many visitors. In the later nineteenth century the building was kept locked, and the key was held at the Swan Inn in Newby Bridge where the landlord could vet the applicants and discourage further graffiti. By the end of the century the tower was in need of repair and in 1897, after a prompt from the English Lake District Association, the then owner restored the tower, ‘thus saving an old and interesting landmark’. The ELDA was an association of hoteliers which promoted the Lake District as a tourist destination, and part of its remit was to encourage landowners to keep footpaths and attractions, built and natural, in perfect condition.
Sometime after 1931 the tower was again restored, losing the upper storey in the process (we know there were still three storeys at this date from newspaper reports of a tragic death by lightning strike at the tower). The popular writer and walker Alfred Wainwright sketched the truncated tower for one of his guides, published in 1974, and noted that it was ‘no longer kept in repair’. The tower was listed at grade II in 1970 as ‘Pennington Lodge Tower’ – the name which appears on the early 20th century Ordnance Survey map. This is rather curious, as the first edition OS maps call it ‘Summer House or Tower’, and old postcards and guidebooks call it ‘Finsthwaite Tower’, so the ‘Pennington’ alias remains a bit of a mystery.
It’s a steep clamber up to the tower on a public footpath from Newby Bridge, or a steady climb from Finsthwaite church (which route has the added bonus of information boards on the local bobbin making industry, and the Woodland Trust’s work to regenerate the area) but the lovely little tower is all the reward you need. Although perhaps a small reviving treat might be in order…
And now the very exciting news… In 2015 the then landowner, the Lake District National Park authority, sold the 41 acres of Summer House Knott woodland to a private owner, Tim Timmerman, who had always aspired to having his own woodland. Timmerman had ambitious plans for the tower and woodland. In 2018 planning permission was granted to open the blocked doorway and construct a steel staircase and viewing platform within the tower, and this work is now largely complete. Just by the tower three new memorial stones have been erected, each commemorating a great naval battle: Cape St Vincent (1797), Camperdown (1797) and the Nile (1798).
The beautiful stones, sourced from a local quarry, have carved inscriptions by William Todd, which remember not only the British navy, but also those with whom they engaged in battle: the Spanish, Dutch and French navies respectively. Timmerman feels strongly that the site should ‘honour ALL those whose valour has been lost in the midst of time’, and quotes the Polish-American poet and writer Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004): ‘The living owe it to those who can no longer speak, to tell their story for them’.
Future plans include returning a flagpole to the tower, adding seats and interpretation boards at key viewpoints, the restoration of footpaths, and a programme of woodland management. Schools will be encouraged to use the tower, and although the tower will be kept locked to discourage vandalism, there will be managed public access. A website is under development so watch out for that in due course.
Timmerman wishes everyone to ‘enjoy the beauty of the Lake District to the maximum’. The Folly Flâneuse is hugely grateful to the saviour of Finsthwaite Tower and Water Side Knott. HUZZAH, as the sailors would have cheered.
UPDATE: Summer 2022. Storm Arwen, which hit Britain in November 2021, caused great damage to the woodland, although happily there was little damage in the immediate vicinity of the tower. Access was limited for some time and although forestry work continues, the path from Finsthwaite village has now re-opened. The quote from Milosz has now been added to the inscriptions:
Can you add anything to the history of the tower? If so, the Folly Flâneuse and Tim Timmerman would love to hear from you via the contact box below. Thank you for reading.
Steve says:
Interesting article and good to learn of the restoration by the current owner and his ambition to allow future access to the tower and its surrounding woodland.
Editor says:
Thank you Steve. Yes, it’s very heartening to know that the tower is secure for the future and publicly accessible.
Gwyn says:
And a resounding HUZZAH! and a Happy New Year to the redoubtable Madame La Flâneuse for yet another fascinating elaboration on a charming little folly. As a naval commemoration it beats the Naval Temple (1st August 1800) at The Kymin in Monmouth by a year, so it deserves its preëminence. What about The Finsthwaite Spire? Any more info on that?
Editor says:
Thanks Gwyn! The Finsthwaite Spire continues to keep its history a great secret, but never fear, La Flâneuse is on the case.
Georgina Craufurd says:
Nothing to do with the lovely posting, all of which I thoroughly enjoy! But in order to clear my inbox I copy your pieces into a Word document. But when I try to tidy them up I end up with single lines of letters down the right-hand side of I don’t know how many pages of blank! And even then I can’t get rid of the blank pages even when quite clear. Can your computer guru advise? It doesn’t happen with for instance the Gardens Trust’s Saturday blog , so it is something to do with the format of the page.
Editor says:
Hello Georgina, and thanks for the kind words. I have no idea why that happens, so can’t offer any sage advice I’m afraid. But… all posts remain on the website, so you can simply revisit pages of interest there rather than keeping emails in your inbox.
John D. says:
Absolutely fascinating post, thank you Flaneuse. Tons of information and good photographs. This folly is only a few miles away from us so a visit is certainly in order….. I’ll keep an eye out for the website and maybe a ceremonial opening.
Editor says:
Thanks John. I’m pleased you enjoyed reading about a local folly. I will update the post as soon as I know the website is live, and do let me know if you spot anything in the Cumbria press.
Derek Tunstall Mbe says:
Was up there today 19/11/22 and I noticed a few trees need their guards removed and new stakes put in. Most of these are to the north of the Tower. Even the trees inside the mesh guards need some maintenance. Willing to help with plenty of notice.
Derek Tunstall MBE
07841 370644
Editor says:
Good morning Derek. Thank you for getting in touch. I will pass your comments on to the owner of the tower.
Editor says:
A note from Tim Timmerman, owner and saviour of the tower:
Just a heartfelt Thank You for the splendid and most informative presentation of your recent Visit to Finsthwaite Tower, and in particular for the impressive photography.
We will keep you briefed on our further progress, at present we are battling at removing the many Windblown trees and damage caused by recent Storm ” Arwen”
Best wishes to everyone for 2022,
andrew smith says:
Having just climbed the hill and stumbled across the tower, this article was a great read and answers many of my questions. Thank you!
Editor says:
Thank you. Delighted to have helped! The tower has a wonderful history.
John Talbot says:
4/8/23. Approached the Tower from Great Knott Wood from home as usual today but access blocked by a new deer fence. Tracked it along to find a way though but only met by steel gates locked shut with nuts and bolts. Are these gates to be later unlocked and fitted with springs to foil the deer but not people, or is access from our direction to be blocked for good?
Editor says:
Hello John. I haven’t visited since September last year so I haven’t seen the fencing. I hope it is deer fencing and not vandal-proof fencing after all the wonderful work the owners of the site have carried out. I will let you know if I can find any further information,
John Talbot says:
Just had a call back from Woodland Trust.
It is deer fencing.
Site Manager has clarified that the gates are specifically for pedestrian access and does not know why there are nuts and bolts through the hasps.
So I assume they can be removed to get access and probably best screwed back on again once through.
(In case they remain a fixture, I’ll be taking a small adjustable spanner as they may become stiff or corroded and maybe give them some WD40 now and again.)
Editor says:
Many thanks for the update.
Gordon Emery says:
Finsthwaite Tower is shown on the engraving of the Launch of Lady of the Lake in the Illustrated London News. Let me have your email address and I will send you a copy. Cumbrian follies in my book “Curious Cumbria’ for sale on my website.
Editor says:
Good afternoon Gordon. Yes, I know this lovely illustration – I wonder if the flag really was that big? Thanks for taking the time to contact me.