Beckford's Tower sits on Lansdown Road above the city, and 154 steps up its spiral staircase gets you to a belvedere with a panoramic view over Bath that most visitors never bother to climb for. Adult admission is £10, it's open Saturdays and Sundays from mid-February to mid-December, and it's an easy bus ride from Milsom Street.
Who built it, and why
The tower was built in 1827 for William Beckford, a wealthy novelist, art collector and one of the most eccentric figures in Georgian England, best known for his gothic novel Vathek and for building (and mostly losing) an enormous fortune. After selling his previous, even larger folly at Fonthill Abbey, Beckford built this 120-foot Italianate tower on Lansdown, on the edge of Bath, partly as a private retreat and library, and partly, by most accounts, simply to have somewhere to look out over the city he'd made his home.
Beckford is buried close by, in a pink granite sarcophagus in Lansdown Cemetery, which he had built for himself and which now sits within the grounds.
What's inside
The tower is run today by the Bath Preservation Trust as a small museum, with exhibits on Beckford's life, his collections and the building's design across its lower floors. The main event, though, is the climb: a stone spiral staircase leads up through the tower, ending in 53 wooden stairs to the cupola, for a total of 154 steps to the belvedere at the top. The view from there takes in Bath, the surrounding hills and, on a clear day, a genuinely wide stretch of the Somerset countryside, without another visitor attraction's rooftop crowd.
Opening hours and admission (2026)
| Period | Days | Hours | Last admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Feb – 25 Oct 2026 | Sat, Sun, Bank Holiday Mondays | 10am-5pm | 4:30pm |
| 31 Oct – 13 Dec 2026 | Sat, Sun | 10am-4pm | 3:30pm |
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | £10 |
| Concession | £8 |
| Under 18 (with an accompanying adult) | Free |
| Carer | Free |
Every ticket doubles as a repeat-visit annual pass, so if you're around Bath for a while, one ticket covers you for the rest of the season. Tickets are available on the door but booking online in advance is recommended, since opening days are limited to weekends.
Getting there
Beckford's Tower is slightly outside the centre, on Lansdown Road heading out toward Bath Racecourse, but it's straightforward to reach: there's a bus service from Milsom Street with a stop close to the entrance, and it's walkable or cyclable if you don't mind the climb out of the city. There's a small car park on site (the Grotto car park), which locks an hour after last admission.
It pairs naturally with a wider look at Bath's Georgian architecture and history: the Circus and Royal Crescent are a similar era and a short trip back down the hill, and if you want another elevated view without an entrance fee, the free Bath Skyline walk starts on the opposite side of the city.
FAQs
How much does it cost to visit Beckford's Tower? Adult admission is £10, concessions £8, and under-18s with an accompanying adult go free.
How many steps are there to the top of Beckford's Tower? 154 steps in total, via a stone spiral staircase and then 53 wooden stairs up to the cupola.
When is Beckford's Tower open? Weekends and bank holiday Mondays from 14 February to 25 October 2026 (10am-5pm), and weekends only from 31 October to 13 December 2026 (10am-4pm).
Who was William Beckford? A wealthy Georgian novelist and art collector, author of the gothic novel Vathek, who built the tower in 1827 as a private retreat overlooking Bath.
Is there parking at Beckford's Tower? Yes, a small on-site car park (the Grotto car park), which locks one hour after last admission.
How do I get to Beckford's Tower without a car? There's a bus service from Milsom Street in central Bath with a stop close to the entrance, or it's a walkable, uphill route on foot or bike.