Thought to be 18th century, it is associated with tales concerning the pirate Colin Dolphyn who captured one of the Stradling family and held him to ransom. On being freed the stradlings vowed to get their revenge and built the tower to watch for pirate activity. Dolphyn was delivered into their hands by being shipwrecked nearby. one story says that he was hanged, the other that he was buried up to his neck in the sand and the Stradlings watched as the tide came in.