IN Llanarthney, there is a beautiful, if not slightly imposing, tower standing with a view of the Tywi Valley.
This is Paxton’s Tower and despite the name, it is actually a folly which has stood there for more than 200 years.
A folly is a structure built purely for decoration, but the design can hint to a building with an alternative purpose.
For example, Paxton’s Folly looks like it should be attached to a magnificent castle or be a hub to defend the area, but it was built purely for decoration.
So why does Paxton’s Tower exist and where did the idea come from? Here we’ll take a look at the creation of the tower and the story behind the man who had it built.
It is believed that Paxton’s Tower was built between 1805-1808 and is named after it’s creator Sir William Paxton.
Paxton was born in Scotland in 1744 and moved to London in 1746 when his dad was transferred to the city to continue his role as chief clerk to wine merchant Archibald Stewart.
In 1755, he joined the Royal Navy as captain’s boy to Captain William Gordon at the age of 12 and at the end of the Seven Years War, he joined the East India Company.
He was assigned to a post in Calcutta working alongside Charles Cockerell, brother of famed architect Samuel Pepys Cockerell, who would go on to create Paxton’s Tower.
On March 5, 1774, he became Assay Master to the Bengal Presidency and became Master of the Mint four years later.
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In February 1785, Paxton made the journey back to the UK to help his older brother Archibald with the business that they had been running for a number of years.
Four years later he bought the Middleton Hall estate in Llantharne and turned to Samuel Pepys Cockerell to design a new home which was built between 1793 and 1795.
What is said to have been a stunning gardens complete with connected waterways was also built on the estate – which is now the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
In 1802, he became mayor of Carmarthen, just two months after losing the general election to become MP for Carmarthen and is credited with developing Tenby into a seaside town.
A theory behind the construction of Paxton’s Tower is that he was bitter at losing the election and wanted to remind the voters of what they could have had.
Paxton had always admired Admiral Horatio Nelson and it is more widely believed that he instructed Cockerell to build the Neo-gothic folly to commemorate his victories and the death of the Admiral at Trafalgar.
He is believed to have met the Admiral during his stint as Mayor of Carmarthen, during the time he lobbied Westminster to install pipes to distribute fresh water to the town and to get the Bill to start the Loyal Carmarthen Volunteers Brigade.
While they do not survive now, there were inscriptions in English, Welsh and Latin on the tower which read "To the invincible Commander, Viscount Nelson, in commemoration of the deeds before the walls of Copenhagen, and on the shores of Spain; of the empire every where maintained by him over the Seas; and of the death which in the fulness of his own glory, though ultimately for his own country and for Europe, conquering, he died; this tower was erected by William Paxton."
Paxton’s Tower is now managed by the National Trust and visitors are able to marvel at the structure but are unable to climb it.
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