House in the Clouds

The House in the Clouds is a converted water tower standing above the trees in Thorpeness, Suffolk. Built in 1923, it was designed to look like a mock-Tudor house so it would fit with the village’s style. The tank that once held 50,000 imperial gallons of water now forms part of a private home. During the Second World War, anti-aircraft fire accidentally hit the tank, reducing its capacity to 30,000 imperial gallons. In 1979, the main tank was removed and the building was fully converted into a five-bedroom house. The structure is about 21 metres high and contains 85 steps from top to bottom. It has been a Grade II listed building since 1995, recognised for its unusual design. The house has appeared in television programmes such as Channel 4’s Homes by the Sea and BBC’s Flog It! It was also chosen by The Twentieth Century Society to represent 1924 in its book 100 Buildings in 100 Years. Visitors can see the house from the surrounding paths in Thorpeness. The building’s height makes it a landmark above the treetops. Inside, the five bedrooms and three bathrooms are arranged over several floors. The conversion preserved the original structure while turning it into a comfortable home. The house remains a striking example of early 20th-century design blending function with style.