William Rashleigh of Menabilly who granted the land for the tower expressed his hope that they would 'make the Beacon an ornament to my grounds’; thus the tenders issued by Trinity House were for the erection of a ‘very handsome Greco Gothic Square Tower’.
In 1967 the National Trust were able to acquire the land around the Gribbin headland, partly from the successful Neptune campaign and partly by the generous gift from Mr Egbert Barnes and the St Austell Brewery Company. You can still see the daymark from the top windows of the brewery as you look over the roof tops of St Austell.
In 1998 the daymark itself was acquired from Trinity House for a nominal consideration, funded from the Fowey River and Coast Appeal and a bequest from Miss H. B. M. B Miller.
We open the tower every Sunday from July to early September*, managed by a team of hardy volunteers who'll be there to meet and greet you in all weather. The tower is quite small, so groups of twelve can climb up at a time.
*In 2020, due to Coronavirus safety concerns, we're not opening the daymark, but hope to welcome visitors back in future. Look at the what's on page for opening times.
