Racton Monument (known locally as Racton Ruin) is a

folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...

on a hill in Racton,

West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an a ...

, England with views over Chichester Harbour and to the Isle of Wight. It was commissioned by the 2nd Earl of Halifax, either as a summerhouse for the nearby Stansted Estate or so he could watch his merchant ships dock at the nearby port,

Emsworth Emsworth is a town in the Borough of Havant in the county of Hampshire, England, near the border of West Sussex and located at by the south coast of England. It lies at the north end of an arm of Chichester Harbour, a large and shallow inlet ...

, on

The Solent The Solent ( ) is a strait between the Isle of Wight and Great Britain. It is about long and varies in width between , although the Hurst Spit which projects into the Solent narrows the sea crossing between Hurst Castle and Colwell Bay t ...

. One news report states that the lower level was also to be used for holding banquets.

History

This

Grade II listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

was designed by architect

Theodosius Keene Theodosius Keene, born in 1754, was an English architect who conducted most of his work in the south of England between 1770 and 1777. Life and work Theodosius was born around 1754 as the son of notable English architect Henry Keene, famous ...

, son of

Henry Keene Henry Keene may refer to: * Henry George Keene, a soldier, civil servant, and orientalist * Henry George Keene (1826–1915), an English historian * Henry Keene (Oregon politician) * Henry Keene (architect) {{hndis, Keene, Henry ...

. It was built between 1766 and 1775 and some sources suggest that it has been called Stansted Castle. The Listing summary states that the design featured a triangular base, with a round turret at each angle. Of a red brick construction, the building was originally faced with flints and stood four storeys high (), a height it retains to this day. However, it has been abandoned for over a century and is in a state of ruin, with the floors and much of the original flint facing having disappeared, and its roof caving in.

Planned restoration and conversion

The property is privately owned by architect Mark Talbot (since 1987). His application for planning permission to turn it into a dwelling was refused in August 2020 by the South Downs National Park Authority. The decision stated that the conversion would lead to an "'unsympathetic form of development', due to the intended scale, design and appearance" and that the owner had provided "insufficient information had been provided to justify the impact of the proposals", according to a news report. Planning consent for a conversion to a private dwelling had been provided in 1991 by Chichester District Council, but work did not begin and the consent expired in April 2013. Prior to converting the folly into a residence, Talbot had planned to "replace the missing elements, both structural and decorative, and to refurbish the building as far as practical to match the original design" according to a June 2020 news report.

Condition and concerns

By February 2012, the tower's condition described as follows: "Flint deterioration (peeling from brick core), particularly bad to South elevation. Severe brick deterioration to west window. Numerous sills dropped". In 2020, Mark Talbot said that the folly had been "a focal point of 'undesirable and sometimes illegal gatherings' as well as suffering from fly tipping, and dumping of cars".

Occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism ...

acts were said to have taken place on occasion at the ruined folly. It has drawn

paranormal investigator Ghost hunting is the process of investigating locations that are reported to be haunted by ghosts. Typically, a ghost-hunting team will attempt to collect evidence supporting the existence of paranormal activity. Ghost hunters use a variety of ...

s investigating reported paranormal activity. Intrigue surrounds the myth that the folly may have been used by smugglers. According to Country Life, "it has seen illegal raves, ghost hunts, occultists and graffiti, and was, reputedly, a 19th-century brothel". Local lore suggests "spectral sightings

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mech ...

include flying bricks, faces in windows and a ghost tractor that drives up behind you, then disappears".

Gallery

File:Ractonruinsfromabove6056.jpg, Racton Monument from above File:Racton Monument-Tower-Folly - geograph.org.uk - 145096.jpg, Front of the monument File:Racton ruin.jpg, Looking up to the top of the monument File:Racton Tower - geograph.org.uk - 228126.jpg, Looking north toward the monument File:Racton Ruins, Sussex - geograph.org.uk - 47714.jpg, The monument at night

References

{{reflist Buildings and structures in West Sussex Scheduled monuments in West Sussex Grade II listed buildings in West Sussex Folly buildings in England Houses completed in 1775