Old John the upper floor, and is open to visitors on the park's guided walk programmes. In 2001, Bradgate Park Trust registered the design of the building as a trademark, and in 2018 told a local artist that she would have to pay them if she continued to sell her paintings of it. Adjacent to the tower is a toposcope installed in 1953. This was installed by the people of Newtown Linford from money raised at the 1953 'Pageant of Lady Jane Grey', performed to celebrate 400 years since she was proclaimed Queen of England. Old John Tower occupies the north-eastern end
Bradgate, Iowa to be published, residents were anxious to read the story which profiled their farm community. But when the August 1950 issue appeared, all were disappointed. Bradgate was pictured as a dying town. This has remained a sore spot in the years since and in 1976, the motto “The town that wouldn’t die” was chosen to commemorate the community's resolve to withstand the dire premonition and continue forward. On May 21, 2004, a tornado rated F2 struck the town of Bradgate causing widespread damage. The National Weather Service reported that a tornado struck near Rolfe at 6:10 p.m. and hit Bradgate