Severndroog Castle

Severndroog Castle lies in a wood in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, in the county of Greater London in England.

Severndroog Castle may look historical but it isn't. It is a folly, built in 1784 on top of the 132 m high Shooter's Hill, by the architect Richard Jupp for Lady Anne James of Eltham. She was the widow of Commodore Sir William James, 1st Baronet. After Sir William's death in 1783 Lady Anne had it built as a Gothic castle-like tower to serve as a memorial to her husband.

Sir William had been commander of the East India Company navy. In that function he had attacked and destroyed the island fortress of Suvarnadurg on the western coast of India in 1755. Hence its name.

Following Lady James' death in 1798, the building passed through the hands of various landowners. Because of its elevated location it was used for geographical surveys during the 19th century. 

In 1922 Severndroog Castle was purchased by the London authorities and turned into a tearoom. In 1988 the local council could no longer afford the building's upkeep and it was boarded up. In 2014 it was finally restored and reopened.

At present Severndroog Castle can be visited. It houses a small museum annex tearoom. A nice folly.

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