Hadlow Tower is a 3 to 4 bedroom luxury holiday rental with 360 degree panoramic views over beautiful Kent countryside, "The Garden of England". The original tower was finished with Roman cement render, which was made by burning septaria, or nodules found in clay deposits [that contain both clay minerals and calcium carbonate]. The final ascent to the lantern viewing gallery is via a new small steel staircase that climbs up inside the lantern. A modern version of the material was recreated by Paye by mixing grey-toned Vicat Prompt with brown dust from Oxfordshire Horton Brown limestone. “I specialise in listed refurbishment work and although Hadlow Tower features similar gothic mouldings, quatrefoils and other elements to some churches, it beats them all in terms of the sheer quantity of detail. We wandered around for a little while (in the rain) in an attempt to get as close as we could to the tower and eventually determined that St. Mary's churchyard. Internal modifications included the strengthening and replacement of oak floors on levels one to five, the application of lime plaster on walls to match original plasterwork and replacing windows throughout the tower. It is phenomenal,” says Rodney Palmer, contract manager at Mansell. Hadlow Tower: the height of good taste Holidaymakers in search of a room with a view can now head to the village of Hadlow near Tunbridge Wells and take up temporary residence in its 170ft Grade I listed Gothic Revival folly, writes Stephen Cousins. Hi I was the manager of the Hadlow Tower Visitor Centre up until last September 2017. Building preservation charity Vivat Trust took on the project in 2011, appointing architect Thomas Ford & Partners and Mansell to restore the original features, create a three-bedroom holiday apartment spanning floors one to five, and a ground-floor exhibition space and a new steel and glass lantern at the top. The lantern is supported on cranked steel beams installed at level nine. According to Palmer, the biggest logistical challenge was installing the new structures without damage to the existing building fabric. The structure is notable for its use of Roman cement, a unique lime-based cement developed in the 1700s to mimic stone, which was originally used both as render over the red brick structure and for the intricate gothic precast decorative elements. Holidaymakers in search of a room with a view can now head to the village of Hadlow near Tunbridge Wells and take up temporary residence in its 170ft Grade I listed Gothic Revival folly, writes Stephen Cousins. Internal hoists positioned in the centre of the tower then lifted and located each component. In 2008, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council issued a compulsory purchase order, and won a £2.4m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to carry out a restoration. Visitor accommodation is spread over five floors (serviced by two spiral staircases, but also by a passenger lift!)