Peeking simply above the timber by the M25 on the sting of southwest London is a tall octagonal constructing constructed as a part of Britain’s defence, and it will likely be open to the general public subsequent weekend (twenty second & twenty third June 2024).
Chatley Heath semaphore tower (c) ianVisits
That is the Chatley Heath semaphore tower, a uncommon survivor of a sequence of towers constructed to ship alerts to/from London and the coast at a time when a Napoleonic invasion was a really actual concern.
It was a short-lived thought as the trendy telegraph was about to be invented, and the semaphore towers have been closed down in 1847. This tower was lived in till the Nineteen Sixties, and spent the subsequent 50 years in numerous states of decay till it was restored by the Landmark Belief and opened as a vacation house in 2021.
A couple of times a yr, they open it for the general public to go to and see the improbable views from the highest of the tower.
The tower shall be open to the general public Saturday twenty second and Sunday twenty third June 2024.
Tickets are free however must be booked upfront from right here.
You can too flip up on the day with no ticket if there’s area within the tower to go inside.
Attending to the Semaphore Tower
The tower is in a wooden, and parking is a modest stroll from it. Word that Main roadworks have an effect on virtually all routes to native automotive parks on the weekend – use Pond automotive park: KT11 1ND.
If coming by public transport, the simplest route is to catch the prepare to Effingham Junction, after which it’s a couple of 30-40 minute stroll alongside roads with out pavements. Nonetheless, remember that there’s railway engineering work on the Sunday – so I like to recommend visiting on Saturday should you can.
As soon as on the station, head to Martyr’s Inexperienced, and on the Black Swan pub (filming location for An American Werewolf in London), flip onto Ockham Lane and switch left on the first junction. On the finish, previous a few posh homes, is the wooden and footpaths to the tower.
There may be additionally the hourly 715 bus from Cobham and Kingston upon Thames, however that may contain a prolonged stroll alongside the busy A3 highway to get to the wooden.
On my go to final yr, I additionally detoured within the woods to the Samuelson Mausoleum, which is value a go to. After I left, I took the longer route house by way of Cobham simply because I wished to.
This text was printed on ianVisits
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