Folly tower

Ornamental structure

A folly tower is a tower that has been built as an architectural folly, that is, constructed for ornamental rather than practical reasons. Folly towers are common in Great Britain and Ireland, and often do have some practical value as landmarks, or as viewpoints, unlike other types of folly.

List of folly towers

Folly towers
Name Location County Year built Notes
Beckford's Tower Bath Somerset 1827 built by owner as a library and retreat
Bettison's Folly Hornsea East Riding of Yorkshire 19th century  
Boot's Folly Strines Reservoir South Yorkshire 1927 built as a job creation scheme
Brizlee Tower Alnwick Northumberland 1781  
Broadway Tower Broadway Worcestershire 1794  
Brown's Folly Bathford Somerset 1848  
Castleboy Tower Castleboy Co. Galway c.1800-1840 Formerly part of Castleboy country house
Charborough Tower Charborough Park Dorset 1790
Clavell Tower Isle of Purbeck Dorset 1830 used as an observatory
Conygar Tower Dunster Somerset 1775  
Cranmore Tower Cranmore Somerset 1860s  
Culloden Tower Richmond North Yorkshire 1746 built to commemorate Cumberland's victory in the Battle of Culloden
Faringdon Folly Faringdon Oxfordshire 1935  
Flounder's Folly Craven Arms Shropshire 1838  
Fox Tower, Brough Brough Cumbria 1775  
Freston Tower Freston Suffolk c. 15th–17th
century		  
Hadlow Tower Hadlow Kent 1838  
Hartcliff Folly Penistone South Yorkshire 1856  
King Alfred's Tower Brewham Somerset 1760s built to commemorate the end of the Seven Years' War and accession of George III
Kingfisher Tower Otsego Lake New York 1876 built as a job creation scheme
Luttrell's Tower Calshot Hampshire c. 1780 possibly built as a landmark for smugglers
Nicolle Tower Mont Ubé Jersey 1821  
Paxton's Tower Llanarthney Carmarthenshire 1800s  
Penny Tower Galway County Galway 1822 built as a relief work during the Irish Famine, for which workers were paid a penny a day[1]
Perrot's Folly Edgbaston West Midlands 1758  
Folly Tower, Pontypool Pontypool Torfaen 1760s built as an observatory
Siddons Tower near Cork Harbour County Cork, Ireland c. 1777[2] named for actress Sarah Siddons[3]
Stratton's Tower Little Berkhamsted Hertfordshire 1789 served as a weather station
Uig Tower Uig Skye 1860  
Volta Tower Finedon Northants 1865  
Wainhouse Tower Halifax West Yorkshire 1875 served as a factory chimney
Watkin's Tower Wembley London 1895 not completed
Wilder's Folly Sulham Berks 1789 built as a belvedere, also served as a dovecote

Notes

  1. ^ Kenny, Tom (June 21, 2018). "Spires House, Shantalla". Galway Advertiser. Archived from the original on 2018-07-28.
  2. ^ Tone, Theobald Wolfe; Radcliff, John; Jebb, Richard (1998). Belmont Castle, Or, Suffering Sensibility. Lilliput Press. p. 66 n.1. ISBN 978-1-901866-06-3.
  3. ^ Howley, James (2004). The Follies and Garden Buildings of Ireland. Yale University Press. pp. 63–64. ISBN 978-0-300-10225-3.

References

  • Barton, Stuart (1972). Monumental Follies: An Exposition on the Eccentric Edifices of Britain. Lyle Publications.
  • The Follies Journal (published annually). The Folly Fellowship. ISSN 1474-7669
  • Follies (magazine, published thrice yearly). The Folly Fellowship. ISSN 0963-9004.
  • Headley, Gwyn; Meulenkamp, Wim (1986). Follies — A National Trust Guide. London: Jonathan Cape. ISBN 978-0-224-02105-0.</ref>
  • Howley, James (2004). "Towers". The Follies and Garden Buildings of Ireland (chapter). Yale University Press. pp. 48–69. ISBN 978-0-300-10225-3.

External links

  • Follies of Europe Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
  • Folly Fellowship