Darwen Tower

The octagonal Jubilee Tower at grid reference SD678215 on Beacon Hill overlooking the town of Darwen was completed in 1898 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and also to celebrate the victory of the local people for the right to access the moor.

It was opened to the public on September 22 1898. 85ft in height, walkers can climb to the top via the internal staircase to admire the views of Yorkshire, Morecambe Bay, Blackpool Tower, Cumbria, the Isle of Man, North Wales, elsewhere in Lancashire ,and of course the surrounding moorland.

There is a stone spiral staircase to the first level and slightly above, followed by a smaller metal spiral staircase which leads to the very top. Wind speeds can be very high at the top of the tower, and often mist below will obscure the surrounding views.

In 1947 the original wooden turret on the top of the tower was blown off in a gale and was not replaced until 1971 when the tower was crowned once again with a glass dome paid for mainly by fund raising by local people. The tower was closed to the public for 19 months due to being deemed unsafe for use.