Reform Tower, Derbyshire

The Reform Tower in Stanton Moor


The Reform Tower, also known as the Earl Grey Tower in Stanton Moor, Derbyshire, is a monument to the 1832 Reform Act.

It was built around 1833 by the Thornhill family to commemorate Earl Grey,[1] the Whig Prime Minister who supported the 'Act to amend the representation of the people in England and Wales'.

There is speculation that William Pole Thornhill, with his 'strong dedication to reform',[2] built the tower celebrating the passing of the Reform Act so that it was visible from the property of the 5th Duke of Rutland, a Tory.[3]

The tower is made of blocks of gritstone. A doorway on the east face is now bricked in, but previously a staircase allowed visitors to see the view from the roof of the tower.[3] A niche above the doorway originally had a plaque with a coronet and 'Earl Grey 1832'.[4]


It was first listed as a Grade II listed building in July 1967.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Monument record MDR8542 - Earl Grey Reform Tower, Stanton Moor, Stanton in the Peak". Derbyshire Historic Environment Record. Derbyshire County Council. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  2. ^ Gaunt, Richard A. (February 2020). "A Great Electioneer and His Motives Reconsidered: The 4th Duke of Newcastle". Parliamentary History. 39 (1): 190–204. doi:10.1111/1750-0206.12484. S2CID 214212556. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b McGuire, Stella (2010). "Magic Markers: The Evocative Potential of Carvings on Stanton Moor Edge, Derbyshire, UK". In Oliver, Jeff; Neal, Tim (eds.). Wild signs : graffiti in archaeology and history. Oxford, England: Archaeopress. pp. 23–34. ISBN 9781407306353.
  4. ^ "Tower On Stanton Moor, 280 Metres North West Of The Croft, Stanton Lees (IOE01/14347/03)". Historic England. Historic England. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  5. ^ "TOWER ON STANTON MOOR, 280 METRES NORTH WEST OF THE CROFT, STANTON LEES". Historic England. Historic England. Retrieved 29 August 2022.