Story of the Tower House.

Thompson’s drawings for the house show a lightly embellished Italianate style building with a tower to the north side in what is termed the Williamane style other examples of which can be seen in Bath.

Thompson’s drawings are labelled “Design for a Residence Lodge, Kelston Park”

In Thompson’s design there was no proper consideration for servants. Handwritten on the drawing in pencil are the changes that Neeld wanted to provide accommodation for the servants in the tower. “The tower is to be two feet higher than showed in the working drawing in order to give one foot extra height to the servant’s rooms in the tower” A scribbled note in pencil reads “Nonsense. Delusion”

The section through the house shows the original layout after it was modified by Neeld. These changes led to some unsatisfactory floor and window levels including the first floor crossing the double landing windows.

The rather bland east elevation was obscured when the “lean-to” service structure was added in the 1880’s

An advertisement dated 1838 refers to the house as “Kelston Lodge with every suitable convenience for a gentleman”. “This newly-erected and very desirable RESIDENCE is situated within four miles of Bath…..commanding a most delightful and extensive prospect, together with a view of Kelston Park and Mansion” The house was leased by Joseph Neeld to Thomas Tylee.

In 1845 the house was still occupied by the Tylees and once again was up for rent. This time the advertisement mentions a Coach House, Stables, and a large walled garden suggesting that these were added by John Tyler. The house was let to the widow of James McDowell of the Honourable East India Company whose eldest daughter was married to Captain Henry Neeld.

The house was let in 1852. This time the advertisement proudly announced that the house contained, amongst other desirable attributes, “a Patent Water Closet contiguous”.

In 1856 Kelston Lodge was conveyed by Joseph Neeld to John Neeld in trust for his daughter Ann Maria the wife of Inigo William Jones of Lodford House, Herefordshire.

  Thereafter the house was let a number of times. 

The house changed occupants a number of times with some kind of three story extension added around 1886 on the east elevation and plumbing installed together with a gardener’s cottage.

There were more changes of tenancy and sometime between 1910 and 1912 Kelston Lodge was renamed “The Tower House”

There were further occupants and in 1921 “The Towers” was for sale for the first time with vacant possession. Mary Poynton noted that the property was sold by the Rev. Ralph Inigo -Jones “ thus making the parish like a book with a plate missing and so damaged the value of the estate”.

There were further modifications and a new extension was added to the east elevation by the architect Mobray Green.

In 1922 “The Towers” was offered at auction with among other conveniences “a short distance of the Electric Car Service into the City of Bath, electric light powered by a “Lister Bruston” Automatic Electrical Plant, and a Post Office Telephone”.

Despite this the property failed to sell and was again offered at auction and again failed to sell. The house was finally purchased by the Fleming-Spence family whose son was Bath Rugby captain.

The King-Smiths lived at the Tower throughout the second world war and built Kelston’s only bomb shelter perhaps because evacuees were billeted with them. There was no damage to the Towers despite a bomb destroying the porch of the Old School House nearby.

After the King-Smiths the house changed hands a number of times when the lower garden was divided and sold to Moores Cottage. In 1988 Sydney Jacob appointed the architect William Bertram to modernise and extend the property with particular attention to the earlier three story “lean- to “extension. In addition William Bertram designed the garden including the construction of steps to the new lower garden and complete re-planting of the flower beds and trees. Sometime later this design was modified by the construction of a 10m circular fish pond in the centre of the new lower lawn.

The house again changed hands a number of times with the area adjacent to Moores Cottage being re-acquired by Jill and Craig Thomas the author of a number of successful adventure stories. 

This short history is a condensed version of the history compiled by Kay Ross for the present owners planning application. We are very grateful for her permission to use it.

By Hugh Kenyon, Kelston History Group