The House in the Clouds
at Thorpeness, near Aldeburgh in Suffolk
As you drive along the
coastal road from Aldeburgh towards Thorpeness a building with
the general appearance of a doll's house on stilts comes into
view above the trees. Approach closer and you realise that it is
larger than first you might have thought.
The House in the Clouds was built in 1923 as the Thorpeness water
tower, disguised as a house to avoid it being an eyesore.
Originally it was a five storey house underneath the water tank,
which itself was hidden by enclosing it in a house-like structure
complete with pitched roof. Later, when Thorpeness was linked to
a mains water supply, the tank inside was dismantled and the
space turned into additional living accommodation.
When built the house was called “The Gazebo”; the
name “The House in the Clouds” comes from a
children's poem written by the original owner, and inspired
by the house.
