Folly Collection

"Folly: A Journey Through Architectural Whimsy" Step into the enchanting world of folly, where imagination and creativity reign supreme

Broadway Tower and Cotswold drystone wall at sunrise, Broadway, Cotswolds, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

The Flemish Proverbs (oil on canvas)
BAL67235 The Flemish Proverbs (oil on canvas) by Brueghel, Pieter the Younger (c.1564-1638); 119.6x164 cm; Johnny van Haeften Gallery, London

View of a folly in Roundhay Park (albumen print)
5043510 View of a folly in Roundhay Park (albumen print) by Wormald, Edward (fl.1858-88); 27.9x21 cm; Leeds Museums and Art Galleries (Leeds City Museum) UK; (add.info.: Roundhay Park)

Stourhead, Wiltshire. Date: 1960s

Mitchells Corn Palace, Mitchell, South Dakota, USA
Mitchells Corn Palace, The Worlds Only Corn Palace at Mitchell, South Dakota, USA. The card notes that this building is redecorated annually at a cost of $10

Roses & The Pin Mill, Bodnant Gardens, near Tal-y-Cafn, Conwy, Wales

Scrabo Hill Tower, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
Scrabo Tower is located to the west of Newtownards in County Down, Northern Ireland. Built on a volcanic plug above the town in 1857 as a memorial to Charles Stewart

Blaise Castle
Sham Castle c1766, set within the magnificent Blaise Estate, Bristol. IoE 379730

Ardconnel Terrace, Oban, Argyllshire, Scotland, McCaig Tower
Ardconnel Terrace, Oban, Argyllshire, Scotland showing the McCaig Tower. Situated on the west coast of Scotland and built of Bonawe granite between 1897 and 1902

Stone-built folly in woodland habitat, The Burn, Glen Esk, near Edzell, Angus, Scotland, october

Leith Hill Tower, Surrey, the highest point in the county, built in 1766 by Richard Hull, as a viewpoint. Legend has it that his last request was to be buried upside down in it

Gothic Folly Tower, Wimpole Hall Estate, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Thames Steamer Timetable
Notice of sailings of Thames steamers operated by Salter Brothers of Folly Bridge, Oxford

White peacocks in front of folly, Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore, Piedmont, Italy, Europe

The Watlington White Mark, Oxfordshire. The chalk scar was dug into Watlington Hill in 1764 to give the illusion that the town's church had a spire

The Folly
Constructed as a ruin and situated on a conspicuous hilltop site in Mount Edgcumbe Park, overlooking Plymouth Sound. IoE 61874

Hoober Stand 28935_053
Hoober Stand, Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Photographed in March 2017

The Headington Shark
The shark was placed on the roof on 9 August 1986, the 41st anniversary of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki. Made by John Buckley, 25 feet high and made of fibreglass

Idol-Worship or the Way to Preferment, 1740 (engraving)
XJF863053 Idol-Worship or the Way to Preferment, 1740 (engraving) by English School, (18th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Prime Minister Robert Walpole)

View of the Round Howe near Richmond, Yorkshire, England, 1788. Creator: George Cuit
View of the Round Howe near Richmond, Yorkshire, England, 1788

The Folly Theatre, Peter Street, Manchester
Promotional postcard showing a playbill of the acts playing at the Folly Theatre of Varieties, (known as the Folly) Peter Street, Manchester for the week commencing Monday, 24th March 1889

River Tay from Kinnoull Hill, Perth, Scotland Date: circa 1890

The Casino at Marino, 1783 (engraving)
XJF476169 The Casino at Marino, 1783 (engraving) by Irish school, (18th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Casino at Marino, in Marino, Dublin)

Racton Monument, 1903
Racton Monument was built on the Downs by Admiral FitzHornly as a summer house and observatory. John Fletcher Collection West Sussex Record Office, Ref No: PH 26114/33

Nottingham -- Radford Folly
Holidaymakers at Radford Folly, on the Trent near Nottingham Date: 1836

John Mad Jack Fullers Obelisk The Brightling Needle, Sussex
John " Mad Jack" Fullers Obelisk: The Brightling Needle, Robertsbridge, East Sussex. Date: 1905

Broadway Tower framed by bare trees in snow, Broadway, Cotswolds, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Helens Tower, Clandeboye Estate, Bangor, Northern Ireland
Helens Tower, Clandeboye Estate in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Commissioned by Lord Dufferin of Clandeboye, designed by Scottish architect William Burn and named in honour of Dufferins mother

HALFWAY HOUSE TOLL
This striking-looking building, known as the Halfway House, is an old Tollhouse and a well-known landmark on the Bath Road (A4) between Hungerford and Newbury

Monument consecrated to posterity in memory of the unbelievable folly of the 20th year of the 18th century. (engraving)
602591 Monument consecrated to posterity in memory of the unbelievable folly of the 20th year of the 18th century. (engraving) by English School

A Sunset or Landscape with Argus Guarding Io (oil on canvas)
HLK151704 A Sunset or Landscape with Argus Guarding Io (oil on canvas) by Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellee) (1600-82); 101x126.5 cm; By kind permission of the Earl of Leicester

Railway Tunnel House
A quirky house, built over a railway tunnel at Clayton, Sussex, England. Date: early 1930s

Halswell House, Somerset, 1764 (oil on canvas)
NGW342633 Halswell House, Somerset, 1764 (oil on canvas) by Richards, John Inigo (1731-1810); National Museum Wales; National Museums & Galleries of Wales

View of part of the lake in front of the Egyptian Belvedere at Steinfort, from Jardins Anglo-Chinois de la Mode by
STC171955 View of part of the lake in front of the Egyptian Belvedere at Steinfort, from Jardins Anglo-Chinois de la Mode by George Louis Le Rouge

Central Park, New York City at Belvedere Castle during an autumn twilight

Central Park, New York City at Belvedere Castle during an autumn sunset

Frogmore House, Windsor, bequeathed by Queen Charlotte to Princess Augusta. Handcoloured copperplate engraving after an illustration by John Gendall from Rudolph Ackermanns Repository of Arts

Mow Cop Castle DIX02_01_177
MOW COP CASTLE, MOW COP, ODD RODE, CHESHIRE EAST. Mow Cop Castle viewed from the north west, 1920-1935. The castle was built as a folly by Randle Wilbraham in 1754

Devizes Castle 29613_010
Devizes Castle, a Victorian folly built on the motte of the original castle, Wiltshire, 2015

Sunrise over Broadway Tower on top of Fish Hill, the second highest point in the Cotswolds, Broadway, Worcestershire, England

The tea room in the Ornamental Cottage at Moor Park, from The Country Houses of Robert Adam, by Eileen Harris
CLF289827 The tea room in the Ornamental Cottage at Moor Park, from The Country Houses of Robert Adam, by Eileen Harris, published 2007 (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Volta Tower, Finedon, Northamptonshire - folly
Volta Tower, Finedon, Northamptonshire, folly built in 1865 collapsed in 1951 - Thomas E. Pope photo postcard c. 1910 Date: circa 1910

Salter Bros landing stage, Folly Bridge, Oxford, Victorian period

Virginia Water, River Thames, Victorian period

College barges at Folly Bridge, Oxford, Oxfordshire - Painted by landscape artist Alfred Robert Quinton for the Sevenoaks based publishing and printing company J

Cushendall, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland - The red sandstone Curfew Tower built by Francis Turnly who made a fortune with the East India Company in China

White Star Line, Titanic lettercard written on board
White Star Line, RMS Titanic - Second Class passenger and victim Henry James Beauchamp, rare Titanic lettercard written on board and posted with original one penny stamp

The Palladian tea-house bridge at Audley End, from The Country Houses of Robert Adam, by Eileen Harris
CLF310364 The Palladian tea-house bridge at Audley End, from The Country Houses of Robert Adam, by Eileen Harris, published 2007 (b/w photo) by English Photographer

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"Folly: A Journey Through Architectural Whimsy" Step into the enchanting world of folly, where imagination and creativity reign supreme. From the captivating view of a folly in Roundhay Park to the intricate Flemish Proverbs depicted on canvas, each piece tells a unique story. In Bodnant Gardens, roses bloom gracefully beside the charming Pin Mill, creating a picture-perfect scene that transports you to another time. Meanwhile, Stourhead in Wiltshire beckons with its grandeur and elegance, showcasing nature's beauty alongside man-made marvels. Venturing across continents, we find ourselves at Mitchells Corn Palace in South Dakota. This vibrant structure adorned with corn kernels celebrates agricultural abundance while leaving visitors in awe of its audacity. Scrabo Hill Tower stands tall amidst Co. Down's breathtaking landscape, offering panoramic views that make one feel on top of the world. Blaise Castle takes us back to medieval times with its stone walls and mysterious allure. As we journey further north to Oban's Ardconnel Terrace, McCaig Tower stands proudly overlooking Scotland's rugged coastline. Its circular design is reminiscent of ancient Roman amphitheaters but serves no practical purpose other than capturing hearts with its architectural splendor. Broadway Tower emerges from Worcestershire's Cotswold drystone wall at sunrise like a fairytale come true. Its silhouette against the golden sky evokes feelings of wonder and magic. Hidden within Glen Esk lies a stone-built folly nestled among woodland habitat—a secret retreat for those seeking solace and tranquility amid nature's embrace during October days. Leith Hill Tower offers an opportunity to climb high above Surrey's countryside and witness breathtaking vistas stretching as far as the eye can see—an experience that leaves visitors feeling both humbled and inspired by nature’s majesty. Finally, Gothic Folly Tower at Wimpole Hall Estate enchants all who lay eyes upon it—its intricate details whispering tales of a bygone era, where dreams and imagination knew no bounds.