Peter Stewart

By now, a small measure of financial security had come Samuel's way. And in 1862, he was able to move the family to a small villa close to his wife's parents. Now, they had just built a large mansion just outside Reigate, and the Palmers moved to a Gothic villa called Furze Hill House, not far from where Donata School is today.

By now, a small measure of financial security had come Samuel's way. And in 1862, he was able to move the family to a small villa close to his wife's parents. Now, they had just built a large mansion just outside Reigate, and the Palmers moved to a Gothic villa called Furze Hill House, not far from where Donata School is today.

But some research shows that it was provided for, the painter, by his father-in-law. who also paid some of his bills. One story is that Palmer couldn't even afford to have a daily newspaper delivered, suggesting that money was still pretty tight. Palmer was having a rough time emotionally as well as financially. He felt as though his work was not being truly appreciated.

But some research shows that it was provided for, the painter, by his father-in-law. who also paid some of his bills. One story is that Palmer couldn't even afford to have a daily newspaper delivered, suggesting that money was still pretty tight. Palmer was having a rough time emotionally as well as financially. He felt as though his work was not being truly appreciated.

And not only was he still weighed down by the death of his mother when he was a boy, now his son... who Samuel had hoped would go to Oxford, had died after 18 months of a long and painful illness. The artist was trying to make sense of the world, and he had many discussions with a Redhill clerical family called the Wrights about theology and morals,

And not only was he still weighed down by the death of his mother when he was a boy, now his son... who Samuel had hoped would go to Oxford, had died after 18 months of a long and painful illness. The artist was trying to make sense of the world, and he had many discussions with a Redhill clerical family called the Wrights about theology and morals,

And out of the darkness eventually came some light. One biographer wrote, Palmer withdrew into the peaceful world of his study, and he was there amid loved books and artistic treasures, amid prayers and meditations and rambling memories, that he rediscovered a lost vision.

And out of the darkness eventually came some light. One biographer wrote, Palmer withdrew into the peaceful world of his study, and he was there amid loved books and artistic treasures, amid prayers and meditations and rambling memories, that he rediscovered a lost vision.

It might not have been as fervid as it had been in Shoreham near Sevenoaks before, but during the Furze Hill exile of the final part of Palmer's life, he worked on the finest pictures he had created since his youth. And those were created right here locally.

It might not have been as fervid as it had been in Shoreham near Sevenoaks before, but during the Furze Hill exile of the final part of Palmer's life, he worked on the finest pictures he had created since his youth. And those were created right here locally.

Another commentator saying that his final two decades represented a distillation of everything that had come before in terms of both subject and style. His painting Going to Evening Church was done here. It's now in the Tate, although the cornfields and the church seem to be an invented idyll.

Another commentator saying that his final two decades represented a distillation of everything that had come before in terms of both subject and style. His painting Going to Evening Church was done here. It's now in the Tate, although the cornfields and the church seem to be an invented idyll.

It was at Furze Hill that Palmer, in 1872, drew a pen and ink sketch simply titled Red Hill, although there are no distinguishing features that help us pinpoint the location today more than 150 years later. But it's a work called The Lonely Tower that's of most interest to us and it's one that you need to see because it's a view that you know.

It was at Furze Hill that Palmer, in 1872, drew a pen and ink sketch simply titled Red Hill, although there are no distinguishing features that help us pinpoint the location today more than 150 years later. But it's a work called The Lonely Tower that's of most interest to us and it's one that you need to see because it's a view that you know.

It was engraved in 1879 and was taken from an earlier watercolour and is said to be his etching masterpiece and unusually the principal feature of the landscape was not only a particular place but one which he could see in the distance from his studio. in Furze Hill House, and it was very close to the farm where his son Thomas is buried.

It was engraved in 1879 and was taken from an earlier watercolour and is said to be his etching masterpiece and unusually the principal feature of the landscape was not only a particular place but one which he could see in the distance from his studio. in Furze Hill House, and it was very close to the farm where his son Thomas is buried.

Indeed, the sky in The Lonely Tower has the great bear star constellation as it was on the night that his son died, and as he, Samuel, looked skyward in grief. On the right-hand side of the picture is a flock of sheep overlooked by two shepherds. On the left, there's a wagner with his ox cart negotiating a narrow stone-built path. A barn owl flies overhead.

Indeed, the sky in The Lonely Tower has the great bear star constellation as it was on the night that his son died, and as he, Samuel, looked skyward in grief. On the right-hand side of the picture is a flock of sheep overlooked by two shepherds. On the left, there's a wagner with his ox cart negotiating a narrow stone-built path. A barn owl flies overhead.

There's a crescent moon low down in the centre of the picture, with the lonely tower lit from the inside through one window, standing on a high bank to the left of the etching. And it's suggested that that tower is Leith Hill Tower, the folly built in 1765. It would be clearly seen from Red Hill without the present-day tree cover, especially as Palmer's House also was on a hill.

There's a crescent moon low down in the centre of the picture, with the lonely tower lit from the inside through one window, standing on a high bank to the left of the etching. And it's suggested that that tower is Leith Hill Tower, the folly built in 1765. It would be clearly seen from Red Hill without the present-day tree cover, especially as Palmer's House also was on a hill.