MDE20953 - Duty Point Tower, north of Lee Abbey (Building)

Duty Point Tower, near Lee Bay. A mid 19th Century 2 stage lookout tower near the cliff edge, square, with buttresses and battlemented parapet, and with staircase turret. It is constructed from stone. Local landmark. [1] The tower is 8 to 9 metres high on the tallest side, which includes the chimney. Its internal measurement is 3.45 metres. The building is of dressed stone and in good condition. The tower has been reroofed at some time, organised original roof pitched inwards northwest to southeast with internal drainage. The upper storey ceiling is constructed from wood. The windows are now glazed. There is a fireplace on the ground floor in the southwest corner. Benching on ground floor put in 3 years ago made from fallen estate trees. The doorway is on the southeast side. Externally on the southeast side there is one alcove in a buttress, possibly a seat. [2] Duty point tower was built as a folly to Lee Abbey by CF Bailey. (3) The tower may be depicted on the Tithe Map of 1841, although this is not entirely clear. Charles Bailey purchased Ley and North Grounds in 1841 and had greatly extended the house by 1850 re-naming it Lee Abbey, and the tower was most likely built as a folly around this time. Square tower of local rubble stone with a hard lime mortar, diagonal buttresses to three corners which do not appear to be tied into main structure. The chimney is decorated with niches and a gargoyle like stone animal head. Flat roofed bay to south with 2-light window and 3-light windows to west and north. Plained arched entrance on east with small arched window above at high level. Internally there is a simple square room with an open fireplace, thin concrete floor, original centre valley roof (with internal drainage) replaced by a flat roof, remains of a suspended ceiling or mezzanine structure presumably reached by a ladder. Timber softwood window frames, all windows fixed. Arched niche with glazed tile sill above open fireplace, niche on side of chiney breast. Plank bench to side of fireplace. Lime rendered walls internally. No services. [4] The building was visited in April 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 5A. [5] Duty Point Tower is depicted and labelled on 2020 MasterMap data. [6] The tower was assessed as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor’s Listed Buildings 2018-19, receiving a BAR score of 5A. [7]