The tallest gatehouse in Britain left unfinished

The gatehouse at Layer Marney Tower is the tallest of its kind in Britain. It is a massive, reaching structure that was meant to be the crowning achievement of an early Tudor country house, dating from about 1523.

Henry 1st Lord Marney started the work during the first half of Henry VIII's reign. His son John took over the construction, but he died just two years later. With no male heirs to carry on the family line or the building plans, the project remained incomplete. They managed to finish a 300-foot main range and a new church, but the tower remains a striking, incomplete giant.

It shares a rare mix of brick and terracotta with buildings like Sutton Place. After the Great English earthquake of 1884 left the buildings with considerable damage, repairs were begun by Alfred and Kezia Peache. Later, owner Walter de Zoete expanded the work, building a folly known as the Tea House and a Long Gallery for his collection of furniture, paintings and objets d'arts.

Today, the tower is a popular backdrop for television and film. You can visit the tower and the Grade II listed gardens from mid-April to 1 October with a small admission fee. It is still a private home, but it occasionally opens its doors for weddings and conferences too.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons