Racton Tower

Racton Tower, locally known as Racton Ruin or Monument, stands west of the hamlet of the same name, in the county of West Sussex in England.

Racton Tower was never a fortification, it is a folly. It was built between 1766 and 1775 by the architect Theodosius Keene for George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax. There are several theories about its intended use; a summerhouse for the nearby Stansted Estate, a lookout tower from which the Earl could watch his merchant ships dock at the nearby port village of Emsworth or to watch for his son's return from an ill-fated voyage.

The tower has been abandoned and ruined for over a century. It is now privately owned and planning permission was acquired to turn it into a residence but this clearly has not started yet.

It has a somewhat sinister reputation as up until 2009 there have been a couple of suicides in the ruin. Also it is said to have been the place of occult acts and that it may be haunted.

It is a 24 m high round tower with a 2-storey, triangular base with corner turrets.

At present Racton Tower is freely accessible. A nice ruin with a dark feel.

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