A Climb to the Viewing Room

There are some thirty three irregular steps that make up the Tower stairway - they lead to a small, flagged corridor at the end of which is the Viewing Room. Shall we ascend together?

The Eastern Approach

The Tower lies east of the House and to reach it we must walk a gravelled path that leads from the kitchen garden. Let us leave behind the licquorice scent of Florentine fennel and make our way across.

Tread carefully as you go - the gravel will incise sharp reminders of the passage into our well-worn soles!

Gargoyles and butterflies

As we near the entrance to the Tower, we notice its Gothic stonework loom up to greet us. A flying buttress supports the outer wall and a party of silhouetted gargoyles hangs languidly from a mooring-point close to the apex.

They point toward a strange stone tableaux a little further up the buttress. This depicts a bleach of butterflies in pursuit of a stout gentleman. His arms flail wildly as he seeks to avoid their deathly white embrace - two of their number have already taken hold of his eyes.

Another Portal

We recommence our walk.

At the end of the gravelled drive lies a single lancet opening to the Tower. Our way is now barred by an oak door on which is mounted an elaborate metalled door-knocker. It's in the shape of a gargoyle head, similar to those which adorn the buttress overhead. Two white butterflies partially obscure the face - they look, for all the world, like a pair of albino sunglasses.

As we reach out for the door-knocker the butterflies take to the air, leaving two vacant eye-sockets to greet us. These blink, and the door swings open to reveal a high-vaulted Hall within. The Tower bids us enter.

A decision to make

Shall we go in? You look so apprehensive standing by the portal, but there's really nothing to fear - many have travelled this way before.

I can sense you're unsure. I'll leave you a while to decide what to do. If you want to go back, just retrace your steps along the gravel path, no-one need ever know you left the kitchen garden. But if you do decide to go further, then step through the portal and join me.

In the meantime, please excuse me. There's a gentleman who's been waiting patiently outside this door for some time now and I must speak to him for a moment.

A decision made

I'm so glad you chose to venture on. If I were to be honest, there are times when it's quite lonely waiting for someone to enter the Tower. Did you pass my friend on the way in? He says he knows you from way back, but then again, he says that of all my visitors!

So take a good look around while I check if the stairwell is clear.

The Hall of Flowers

The far wall of the Entrance Hall is pierced by a series of mullioned windows - their crossing trefoils and quatrefoils dissect the sunlight into a series of intricate patterns on the floor in front of you. Look up and see the dog-rose motif that decorates the lintel to each window.

As your eyes focus on this motif you're drawn back to a dim memory from an earlier visit to the House - the memory of a walk across a beach. A bitter scent pours from the dog-rose vine, and time becomes a loop as you float into a foaming sea next to the thin bearded man who plays with a laughing baby. He wears a stethoscope around his neck.

And now you're rising up into the air. The dog-rose carries you to the very height of the vaulted ceiling then lets you down in a fall of Autumnal leaves.

The stairway is clear

Please forgive me, I should have warned you about the Hall.

It's a long story involving experiments under the tutelage of Eudor. Unfortunately things went rather badly wrong with the regrettable consequence that time has become a little tangled in there. Best just to step through it and ignore the mess - I'll sort it all out one of these days.

So, if you're ready to proceed - I've checked, and the stairway is now clear.

Vestigial stumps

Four easy steps to begin with. They're so well worn they've become little more than vestigial stumps, but nonetheless they ease our way up to the first level of the Tower.

It's here the staircase begins to turn. Do watch your step; one foot in the wrong place and you may find yourself back in the Hall of Flowers. And we both know what happens there, don't we?!

Round the bend

Easy as you go, now. There are five more steps to negotiate, each one curving a little further into a loose cork-screw.

Do you notice how smooth the walls are? This part of the staircase has been decorated in the finest Penteli marble. The craftsmen who set it in place have done a superb job, don't you think? The marble joins are so close you could be forgiven for thinking the whole thing's been fused together into one enormous slab.

May I suggest we press on - there's still some way to go and I do find this part of the Tower rather chilly.

Catching hold

Five more steps to climb and these are much more substantial fare. You may need to grab hold of the cord that runs the length of the staircase - you'll find it over there.

Now follow me up to ...

The Cage

It's much lighter in this section. There are twelve steps to mount and each is illuminated by a small barred window.

"The Cage", as it's known in the House, is guarded by twelve stained-glass watchmen. They oversee the approach to the final part of the staircase.

Almost there!

Shaken in transit

I must warn you about the last seven steps. Don't rush on ...

Oh dear, too late! Hang on tight, I'm just behind. You see, the last seven steps have an alarming tendency to move quite without warning, especially if there's someone in the Viewing Room.

I do hope you're not too alarmed. Just wait for a second or two and the staircase should stop shaking.

Jolly good! So, now we're almost at the top, would you like to go and see who's there?