Repair plan for 1930s 'birthday present' listed tower

The tower was first build in 1935 but was not used for decades

A plan to repair and preserve a Grade II listed tower which was built in the 1930s as a birthday present has been submitted.

Folly Tower in Faringdon, Oxfordshire, is thought to have been a gift from Lord Berners, who owned nearby Faringdon House, to his companion and fellow eccentric, Robert Heber-Percy, who later inherited the estate.

The 30m (98ft) tower, which is now owned by the Faringdon Folly Trust, was opened to the public in the 1980s and was given Grade II listed status in 1986.

It is one of about 30 folly towers across the UK which were built for aesthetic pleasure rather than for practicality.

The tower is opened to paying visitors for two weekends a month from April to October and can be privately hired for up to 30 people.

The trust said it wants to complete the work "to make the building fabric safe and weathertight and to ensure the long-term survival of this special building".

An application submitted to Vale of White Horse District Council is being considered.

Work, if approved, would include the replacement of the tower's steel and concrete floor to one made out of timber, the installation of a new 7m (23ft) flagpole and the improvement of existing windows.