Flounders' Folly
52°27′38″N 2°47′43″W / 52.460574°N 2.795347°W
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Flounders' Folly is a tower, built in 1838, on Callow Hill, near Craven Arms at the western end of Wenlock Edge in Shropshire, England. The tower is approximately 80 feet (24 m) tall and 16 feet (4.9 m) square and is clearly visible (on the skyline) from the Cardiff–Crewe railway line, just north of Craven Arms and also from the busy A49 Shrewsbury to Hereford road.
Many walks ascend the hill from various points and it is mentioned in many walking guides to Shropshire.
History
It dates from 1838, when it was erected by Benjamin Flounders (1768–1846) to mark the boundaries between four large estates and maybe to celebrate his attaining his 70th year, his 'threescore years and ten'.
Over the years following Flounders' death the tower slowly fell into disrepair[1] on its exposed hilltop (it stands on Callow Hill, part of the same system as Wenlock Edge). Already in need of restoration in the 1920s, by the 1980s it was in a dangerous and unstable condition; the castellated top of the tower collapsed in 1987. It had changed hands several times and was owned for a time at least by the actress Julie Christie who had a house nearby for a few years.
In 2001, it was bought by what became The Flounders Folly Trust. With public interest awakened and funding from public and other sources such as The Heritage
Folklore
There are a few apocryphal stories, now spun into the local and regional folklore, traditionally known and told locally that it was built so that Mr Flounders could see his ships coming in and out of the
References
- ^ Bailey, Linda (2004). "Flounders Folly". Geograph. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- Headley, Gwyn; Meulenkamp, Wim (1986). Follies. Jonathan Cape. ISBN 0-224-02790-5.
- Barton, Stuart (1972). Monumental Follies: An Exposition on the Eccentric Edifices of Britain. Lyle Publications. ISBN 0-902921-07-X.
- Baker, Harry; Morris, Mike (1983). Middle Marches: Between Severn and Wye. Robert Hale. ISBN 0-7090-0923-2.
- Cousens, Belinda (2005). Flounders Folly: The Story of A Shropshire Folly and Its Builder. The Flounders Folly Trust.
- Royle, Julie (2003). 50 Walks in Shropshire. AA. ISBN 0-7495-3632-2.