Folly

From Free net encyclopedia

Folly is also a synonym for foolishness; see stupidity. A folly is a silly error.

Image:Broadway-tower-cotswolds.jpg Image:Wimpole folly.JPG

Image:High Service Water Tower (1895), Lawrence, Massachusetts.JPG

In architecture, a folly is an extravagant, useless, or fanciful building, or a building that appears to be something other than what it is.

The term comes from the fact that such structures have often been dubbed "[name of architect or builder]'s Folly", in the sense of foolishness or madness.

Follies are usually found in parks or large grounds of houses and stately homes; they may sometimes have been deliberately built to look partially in ruins. They were especially popular from the end of the 16th century to the 18th century.

The Parc de la Villette in Paris has a number of modern follies by different architects.

Contents 1 Examples 1.1 Britain 1.2 France 1.3 Italy 1.4 United States 1.5 Unclassified 2 See also 3 External links

Examples

Britain

• Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire, England
• The Folly Tower at Pontypool, Wales
• Severndroog Castle, Shooter's Hill, south-east London
• Rushton Triangular Lodge, Northamptonshire (16th century)
• Stowe School, several follies in the grounds
• The Ashton Memorial, Lancaster, England
• Broadway Tower, The Cotswolds, England
• Hawkstone Park, follies and gardens in Shropshire, England
• King Alfred's Tower, Stourhead, Wiltshire, England
• Williamson's tunnels, probably the largest underground folly in the world, Liverpool, England
• Flounder's Folly, Shropshire, England
• The Dunmore Pineapple, Falkirk, Scotland
• McCaig's Tower, Oban, Scotland
• Portmeirion, Wales
• Watkins' Tower, London
• Bettisons Folly, Hornsea, England
• Sway Tower, New Forest
• Old John, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
• Faringdon, Oxon, England

France

• Désert de Retz, folly garden in Chambourcy near Paris, France (18th century)

Italy

• The Bomarzo Gardens

United States

• Belvedere Castle, Central Park, New York
• Lucy the Elephant, Margate City, New Jersey
• Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California
• Ypsilanti, Michigan water tower

Unclassified

• "The Cage" at Lyme Park
• Peckforton Castle
• Wentworth Woodhouse, several follies in the grounds

See also

dubbed structures

• "Tesla's million-dollar folly"

External links

• Follies in the English Landscape
• Follies and Monuments - A comprehensive catalogue of Follies within the UK
• Images of follies on Odd-stuff!nl:Follies

• [1] - Follies around Europe. Book to be published 2007