How could I resist? I love history, I love towers and I suspected it was part of a house I'd longed to see inside for ages.
My suspicions were correct - it was part of Clifton House. It was just coming up to the end of their opening time, but this worked in my favour.
Each floor of the tower has one room and some of them were set out as they might have been during the tower's history. This room was set out for a merchants' diner - the painted walls are partly restored and are beautiful.
The view from the top was amazing.
Over the historic town centre to the church of St Margarets with its twin towers
and also over the river to where the merchant ships would originally have docked.
When I came down I was the only visitor still there and I was offered a guided tour of the house by its now owner, Simon Thurley - how could I resist? A free, personal, tour by an eminent historian who lives in the house? Yes please!
He showed me the restoration work that they'd been doing and work they still needed to do - I didn't take many photos as I was too busy listening. But I did take pictures of the delicately restored plasterwork on the stairs,
and in the 14th century vaulted undercroft which was originally used to store the wine that was imported by the merchants.
It was a lovely afternoon - if you ever get a chance to visit it's well worth it.
I did get to the antiques warehouse too - so a pretty perfect afternoon really!
