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Tuesday 10 January 2012

The Tower

Re posting this originally done31 8 09 on the defunct Spaces site.

Scrabo Tower

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scrabo Tower
Scrabo Tower, from across Strangford Lough.
Scrabo Tower (Irish: Túr Scrabo) is located to the west of Newtownards in County DownNorthern Ireland.
The landmark, which is visible from most of north Down, was built on a volcanic plug[1] above the town in 1857 as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry who was one of the Duke of Wellington's generals during the Napoleonic Wars. The 3rd Marquis, or "Warring Charlie" as he was also known, inherited the title and family seat of Mount Stewart after his brother, the 2nd Marquis, committed suicide. The 2nd Marquis is better known as Viscount Castlereagh who served a term as Britain's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The tower was built to designs attributed to Charles Lanyon and WH Lynn, and now stands in a country park. The park has several woodland walks and parkland through Killynether Wood. The view from the hill and the summit of the tower extends across Strangford Lough, scattered with its many islands, to the Mountains of Mourne and the Scottish coast. The tower houses two floors of displays and a climb of 122 steps takes the visitor to the open viewing level. Scrabo Country Park is always open, admission to the park and the tower is free.
Scrabo Golf Club is looked down on by Scrabo Tower and the tower overlooks most of the course.

                        The Tower

Standing on the headland top,
Tall, Brooding and alone,
Made of dark weather beaten stone,
A sentinel of Earth, Sea,and Sky.

Often draped with gauzy veils of cloud
Or covered in fogs thick blanket.
Caressed by moonbeams silvery light.
Hugged by the sun's warm light

What hidden secrets do you know,
What wondrous tales could you tell
What is the mystery hidden their
For that is what I yearn to know

That is Strabo Tower on a nice day, but on a dark winters day it completely changes its character 
The quote from the poem by Robert Browning " Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came" really seems to apply 
to it. Then you see it properly in its Brooding Majesty

luv Rosemary

2 comments:

  1. I would love to see this and maybe climb up to the top of it!! I am sure it does look different I would imagine 'brooding' would be a good way to describe it then! x

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  2. Well you might enjoy this link Poppy, it is the best I can do for you
    http://www.virtualvisit-northernireland.com/gallery.aspx?dataid=53061&title=Castles%20and%20Monuments

    ReplyDelete