Severndroog Castle, Shooter's Hill © Dr Barry Gray, SCBPT Severndroog Castle on Shooters Hill, Greenwich in south-east London is one of the properties entered in the BBC's Restoration 2004 TV programme. This listed Grade II* gothic tower was built in 1784 as a monument to the brave seafarer, Sir William James (1720–73), by his heartbroken widow, Lady James of Eltham. It commemorates the taking of Suvarnadurg island fort, a pirate stronghold on India's west coast, in 1755.

Building Severndroog Castle

James's adoring and grief-striken wife built the castle. It was designed by the English architect, Richard Jupp (1728–99) of the East India Company. The brick-built gothic tower is triangular with hexagonal turrets at each corner. Built on three storeys, it stands over 18 metres (60 feet) tall. The roof is higher than the cross on St Paul's Cathedral, offering views across London made famous on postcards. On a clear day, seven counties can be seen from this vantage point. In fact, there was a beacon for shipping coming up the Thames on this hill from the 16th century.

Views of the castle in the 1800s

These pen-and-wash drawingsfrom the sketchbooks of John Charnock were made around 1800. Severndroog Castle can be seen on the left-hand side high above the trees which today largely obscure it.

Detail from a map of Kent, pub. 1769 (F0203) © NMM, London This detail from an 18th-century map of Kent by John Andrews shows the geography of Shooters Hill and the surrounding area about 15 years before Severndroog was built. The castle was built approximately where the second 'D' is.

See a zoomable version of this map on the Museum's Collections Online website.

The road across is the old Roman road to Canterbury, now the A2, and the larger coloured lines mark the hundreds (now wards and boroughs).