Chatley Heath Semaphore Tower: a historic journey

The final talk in this autumn’s Royston Pike Lecture Series will shine a spotlight on one of Surrey’s most intriguing landmarks: The Chatley Heath Semaphore Tower. Join us on Wednesday 12 November 2025 at 7.30pm at Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre, Manor Road, Walton-on-Thames KT12 2PF for a fascinating evening with Caroline Stanford, Historian at the Landmark Trust.

Standing tall in the local countryside, the Semaphore Tower is a familiar sight to walkers and history enthusiasts alike. Built in 1822, it is the only surviving tower from a once vital communication chain stretching from Whitehall to Portsmouth Harbour, developed in the wake of the Battle of Waterloo. Invented by Rear Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham, the semaphore system was a cutting-edge innovation of its time and an early form of long-distance messaging.

Saved from dereliction by Surrey County Council in the 1980s and beautifully restored by the Landmark Trust from 2021 to 2022, the tower remains a remarkable piece of local and national heritage.

Caroline Stanford, who oversees the Landmark Trust’s outreach and archives, will share her extensive research into the tower’s construction, its role in early communications, the lives of those who worked there and the story behind its recent restoration.

Tickets are £4 per person. You can book online via the Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre box office: The Chatley Heath Semaphore Tower

For more information about, visit Royston Pike Lecture Series, email arts@elmbridge.gov.uk