St Andrews has the Swilcan Bridge, Turnberry has its iconic lighthouse and, if you take a trip to Thorpeness, you’ll see the Suffolk course has its own “curious and dramatic spectator which watches over our fairways”.
Crafted by the legendary Open Champion and architect, James Braid, Thorpeness is one of the best coastal heathland courses in Britain.
Gorse, pine and silver birch all blend with the heather to form a wonderful championship layout that has staged major amateur and professional events.
And, as you finish, you will play the 18th overlooked by one of the holiday village’s most distinctive landmarks.
The House in the Clouds is described as “one of the country’s most famous follies”.
Built by Braithwaite Engineering Company of London in 1923, it was constructed as a water tower to supply the newly created Thorpeness Village.
Potentially an eyesore on the skyline, the tank was disguised as a house by Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie with architect F Forbes Glennie and works manager H G Keep.
Mimicking the mock-Tudor and Jacobean properties in Thorpeness, it appeared to be a cottage floating above the trees and 70ft above the ground.
The property was merely the top part of the building, which housed the water tank, but it was what could be seen from miles around.
With a capacity of 50,000 gallons it pumped water from the Aldringham Mill and originally housed 7 bedrooms and 2 reception rooms.
Its height, what made it famous, was also its weakness during wartime. It was hit by gunfire from nearby anti-aircraft guns chasing a low-flying V1 bomb in 1943. Miraculously, although extensive damage was caused, the sleeping occupants were unhurt.
In 1979, the tank was removed and the building was fully converted into a house. It was declared Grade II Listed in 1995.
It is believed to have gained its mystical name from Mrs Malcolm Mason, who wrote children’s books and is said to be for whom the house was designed.
These days it watches over the approaches of golfers enjoying a course set in an outstanding area of natural beauty. It’s well worth a visit.
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Steve Carroll
