Geograph - photograph every grid square

This was constructed as a corn miller's windmill in 1776 courtesy of its owners, the city's Merchant Venturers. It may subsequently have become a snuff mill until 1777 when, over-driven during a gale, the wooden pivots caught fire and the mill was burnt out. The tower remained a picturesque ruin until the Merchant Venturers grant William West, a professional artist, a 5 year lease and allowed him to turn it into an observatory. In terms of the natural cavity below it, it was not until 1837 that a 200ft tunnel was built linking the Observatory and "The Giant's Cave" in St Vincent's Rocks thereby allowing the public access to the balcony.