Beckford’s Tower in Bath was built in the 1820s with proceeds from the transatlantic slave trade and has been run as a museum since 1979.
Casper Farrell
Beckford's Tower and Museum will reopen this weekend following a major renovation project, with new spaces to tell the "complex and controversial" story of the life and legacy of the man who built it.
Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and other public and private funders, the work, which began in October 2022, has gone beyond essential repairs to reimagine the museum and excavate a hidden grotto, which visitors can now experience for the first time.
The Bath Preservation Trust, which runs the site, said the wealth of William Beckford came from his ownership of sugar plantations in Jamaica and the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved people.
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It said that bringing the story of William Beckford’s complex and controversial life to a wider contemporary audience has been fundamental to the project.
"[His] wealth gave Beckford immense privilege and power, which he used to collect and commission precious art and objects, and to create influential buildings and landscapes," the trust said.
"These intertwined themes of wealth and power, exploitation and abuse are addressed in the tower’s new exhibition spaces, developed through extensive consultation with a diverse cross-section of the local community so that new voices are part of the tower’s next chapter."
New displays will showcase pieces from Beckford’s varied collections including furniture, design objects and fine art.
Amy Frost, Senior Curator at Bath Preservation Trust said: “William Beckford’s obsession with collecting objects and building towers was funded by his involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
"This means that the creation of Beckford’s Tower and the collection within it was all underpinned by the exploitation and suffering of thousands of enslaved people.
"It has been vital that we work with others to tell this story as openly and accurately as possible. The end of this project is actually the start of a future programme of changing displays and new research at the museum, ensuring that even more previously untold stories are discovered, and voices that have previously been silenced are heard.
"Collaborating with our local communities and advisors we have worked together to create an expansive, interesting and inclusive experience; this tower used to be a space reserved only for one privileged man, now we want everyone to feel welcome here.”
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