The Isle of Wight Council is to reopen Ryde’s famous landmark, Appley Tower, for one day only as part of the celebrations of Appley Day on Saturday 16 June.
Visitors to Ryde’s popular beachside park will have a host of free activities and entertainment including tree climbing, children’s craft activities, guided walks, wildlife recording, story-telling, poetry reading, giant bubbles and much more.
The historic tower has been closed to the public since 2017, and has not been accessible regularly for several years.
Finding a future use of the tower
Community group Friends of Appley, with support from local councillor Michael Lilley, has been working to find a future use for the tower, which is in need of considerable work before it can be permanently reopened.
Cllr Michael Lilley will be custodian of the tower for Appley Day, and will be organising accompanied public visits to the small inside areas of the building at various times between 10am and 4pm.
Booking is not required – interested visitors can turn up at the tower on Appley Day and check the opening times which will be on display.
The roof of the tower remains inaccessible as there are no longer any stairs inside the property.
Everybody loves the tower
Lee Matthews, the Isle of Wight Council’s recreation and public spaces manager, said:
“We know how important this iconic building is for Appley and for Ryde, and we’re keen to find ways to let everyone enjoy it.
“The tower has been inaccessible to the public for a while now and we wanted to take this opportunity to let people have a chance to look round. I think it will be very popular – everybody loves the tower!”
News shared by Isle of Wight council, in their own words. Ed
Image: © Les Lockhart
