H  i  o  r  n  e    T  o  w  e  r

     Photo Submitted by, and Copyright of :- Carl Curtis.

The town of Arundel in West Sussex is dominated by its marvellous Norman castle built by Rodger de Montgomery at the end of the 11th century and now the home of the 17th Duke and Duchess of Norfolk. If though, we look back 300 years we would find the 11th Duke in residence, and it is to him that we are indebted for the magnificent Hiorne Tower. This is situated approximately 1km to the NW of the castle on a steep hill overshadowing Swanbourne lake.
It is a tall triangular structure with an octagonal turret at each corner, and although its sturdy construction has withstood the elements since 1787, if you were to find yourself stranded on the hill on a cold winters night it may not be a place you would seek shelter, as I will explain later.

Most follies usually have the name of the family for whom it was built, or sometimes the locality it finds itself in, forming part of their name but this tower has the somewhat unusual, though not unique, distinction of bearing the name of its architect instead.
Francis Hiorne was eager to get the position of architect for the rebuilding of the nearby castle, and the 11th Duke - Charles Howard - decided that Hiorne, despite being an established architect already, should first build this folly as a test of his competence. Although Hiorne did a marvellous job, fate can be very unkind as he died shortly after.

The tower which has both the appearance of a church and a small fortification is in reasonably good condition with its leaded windows still intact. This is no doubt due to the fact that the vandals have used up any available energy that would have been deployed for stone throwing, by climbing the rather formidable hill it sits on.
One person who climbed the hill, but found no need to return down, was a young girl who was in a state of despair after a failed love affair. It is said she is still there, in spirit at least, after throwing herself from the top. So if you find the need to take shelter there on a dark windy night, be sure to say hello.

     Photo Submitted by, and Copyright of :- Carl Curtis.

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