A 63-year-old woman died after falling from a 300-year-old tower in a UK seaside town. An inquest heard how Cherry Box fell from the 87ft structure before being pronounced dead by paramedics earlier this month.
Fatal fall during day out
Mrs Box was on a day out when she fell from the Naze Tower, located on the cliffs at The Naze headland in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, on Sunday, August 2. Essex Coroner’s Court heard how she scaled the tower while her husband waited on the ground with their pet dog. However, she fell from the top of the structure and died from her injuries.
Coroner Michelle Brown said emergency services rushed to the scene but Mrs Box was pronounced dead at 3.52pm. The hearing was adjourned pending further investigation.
Coroner's statement
The coroner said: "Identity was confirmed by her husband. Following a post-mortem, a provisional cause of death was given as 1A, multiple severe traumatic injuries, awaiting toxicological examination."
History of the tower
The Grade II-listed Naze Tower spans eight floors and serves as a prominent cultural and heritage destination. Originally constructed by Trinity House in 1720 on the cliffs of Walton-on-the-Naze, the tower was built as a navigational landmark to guide shipping along the coast.
The octagonal tower now houses an art gallery, which hosts three exhibitions each year, primarily showcasing the work of East Anglian artists. The tower also features a museum dedicated to its history, as well as the surrounding ecology, geology, and the coastal erosion challenges facing the area.
On the lower floors, visitors can also find a tea room offering both indoor and outdoor seating. The rooftop viewing platform can be reached by climbing 111 steps. The top provides stunning panoramic views of the Essex coast and up to 20–30 miles out to sea.
The Naze Tower is a Grade II listed building of historic interest and is the only one of its kind in existence. This listing places it in the top 5% of heritage buildings and the top 20 listed lighthouses in the UK.
