Beckford's Tower and Museum - Art Fund

Museums and galleries across the UK are currently subject to temporary closures. Please check venue websites for more information.

About

Beckford's Tower and Museum is temporarily closed until further notice. Please check the venue's website for the latest details.

This spectacular landmark was built in the 1820s as a study retreat for William Beckford (1760-1844): writer, eccentric and one of the great British collectors.

It houses a unique collection of objects, paintings and furniture, commissioned and owned by William Beckford, through which visitors can explore his remarkable life. The 120-foot neo-classical tower, designed by Henry Edmund Goodridge, offers spectacular panoramic views of Bath and the surrounding countryside.

Beckford's Tower and Museum

Lansdown Road, Lansdown, Bath, Somerset, BA1 9BH

01225 460705

Opening times

Temporarily closed

Free entry with National Art Pass

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Exhibitions nearby

Temporarily closed

Metalwork bag, Mosul, Iraq, 1300-1330

Precious and Rare: Islamic Metalwork from the Courtauld

The Holburne Museum, Bath
Until 6 September 2020
50% off with National Art Pass

Temporarily closed

Richard Shipley, Circulation, 2019, oil and spray paint on paper, 70 x 50cm © the artist

Streets Ahead: Bristol Street Art 2020

Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
6 June – 23 September 2020
50% off with National Art Pass

Temporarily closed

Nicholas Beer in his Studio

As You See Me - British Portraiture: A Living Tradition

The Salisbury Museum, Salisbury
Until 27 September 2020
Free with National Art Pass

Temporarily closed

John Betjeman Bronze Sculpture by Martin Jennings

Illustrious Britons by Martin Jennings: The Bronze Maquettes

Arundells, Salisbury
13 June – 23 September 2020
50% off entry with National Art Pass

Art we’ve helped buy at Beckford's Tower and Museum

Objects of Vertu

Acquired 1987

Armorial plate

Acquired 1990

Pair of side chairs

Acquired 1993

Cabinet

Acquired 2002

Tripod pedestal

Acquired 2003

Siena marble console table

Acquired 2004

The Hanging Cabinet, made for William Beckford and probably designed by Beckford and the architect Henry Edmund Goodridge, is a superb example of the furniture Beckford commissioned during the final years of his life while living in Bath and the methods he used to display his impressive collection within Landsdown Tower, Bath.

A Silver gilt mounted lapis lazuli cup and cover with the Beckford crest by John Harris were acquired for the museum in 1990 with an Art Fund grant of £15,000 towards the total of £143,000.