Sir William Paxton, owner of Middleton Hall, where the National Botanic Gardens of Wales are now, constructed the tower about 1805. Paxton was Lord Nelson’s friend and wanted to memorialise his achievements, so he had the tower constructed in his honour. On three sides of the tower, there were inscriptions in English, Welsh, and Latin.

Because the tower was in such a prominent location, people could see it from miles away and were continually reminded of William Paxton, his connections, and his riches. It was also claimed that the tower was utilised for feasts, but this may have been problematic given the tower’s lack of a visible kitchen.