The Folly Tower
Encyclopedia
The Folly Tower - - is a folly
located within Pontypool Park
, Torfaen
, South Wales
(Grid ref
: ). It is a prominent local landmark above the A4042 Pontypool
to Abergavenny
road and overlooks Pontypool to the west and rural Monmouthshire
to the east. The Folly is octagonal in shape and roughly 40 foot high and is approximately 1,000 ft (over 300 m) above sea level
on the eastern hill range of the Eastern Valley of Monmouthshire, just south of Mynydd Garn-Wen. Less than a mile from the folly is The Shell Grotto
.
who owned Pontypool Park
. The local name of The Folly was in use as far back as 1865 when the Free Press of Monmouthshire described it as:
It is thought the tower was renovated around 1831 by Capel Hanbury Leigh. This date is derived from a keystone
from the doorway bearing an '1831' inscription. The tower provided a vantage point over the local area and quickly became popular and a well known feature of the area.
In May 1935 an estimated 15 to 20,000 people gathered at the Folly Tower to celebrate the Silver Jubilee
of King George V
with the lighting of a bonfire
.
However, the folly, being open to the elements, began to fall into a state of disrepair during the late 1930s. Pontypool Park Estate Office attached notices to the structure informing visitors of the potential dangers of falling masonry. Its draw on the locals though remained unstinted and local poet and illustrator Myfanwy Haycock
penned the following verse in 1937:
ordered that, as a security measure under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
, the Folly be demolished
. This was in the belief that its presence would be a landmark
for the Luftwaffe
seeking to raid the nearby Royal Ordnance Factory at ROF Glascoed
to the east
beyond Little Mill
.
.
In April 1990 the original foundations
of the tower were unearthed and the original dimensions of the tower were obtained. Planning permission
for the reconstruction was given by Brecon Beacons National Park authorities in October of the same year.
In May 1991, 175 tonnes of dressed stone from the recently demolished Cwmffrwdoer Primary School was donated to the campaign by Torfaen Borough Council
. Rebuilding work commenced on the tower during November 1992 by local building company, Davies and Jenkins. Building work ceased during the winter and resumed in the spring of 1993. The tower stood at approximately 20 ft (6 m) by September 1993 before work ceased again for the oncoming winter. Work restarted in the spring of 1994 and by July work on both the interior and exterior was complete.
The tower was officially reopened by HRH the Prince of Wales
on July 22, 1994. A plaque on the side of the tower commemorates the opening and reads:
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
located within Pontypool Park
Pontypool Park
Pontypool Park is a park containing predominantly mature trees with some open meadowland located in Pontypool, south Wales. The park was formerly the grounds of Pontypool House and was laid out in the closing years of the 17th century for Major John Hanbury, the local ironmaster, who is closely...
, Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
(Grid ref
British national grid reference system
The Ordnance Survey National Grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references used in Great Britain, different from using latitude and longitude....
: ). It is a prominent local landmark above the A4042 Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
to Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
road and overlooks Pontypool to the west and rural Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
to the east. The Folly is octagonal in shape and roughly 40 foot high and is approximately 1,000 ft (over 300 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
on the eastern hill range of the Eastern Valley of Monmouthshire, just south of Mynydd Garn-Wen. Less than a mile from the folly is The Shell Grotto
The Shell Grotto
The Shell Grotto - - is a late-18th-century stone built, slate roofed grotto decorated with shells and animal bones on the interior. It stands on a prominent ridge 700 ft above sea level, within the boundary Pontypool Park, Torfaen in South Wales. It is considered to be the best surviving...
.
Early history
The precise date of construction is unknown but it is generally thought that the original tower was built around 1765 to 1770 by John Hanbury, a local landowner and ironmasterIronmaster
An ironmaster is the manager – and usually owner – of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain....
who owned Pontypool Park
Pontypool Park
Pontypool Park is a park containing predominantly mature trees with some open meadowland located in Pontypool, south Wales. The park was formerly the grounds of Pontypool House and was laid out in the closing years of the 17th century for Major John Hanbury, the local ironmaster, who is closely...
. The local name of The Folly was in use as far back as 1865 when the Free Press of Monmouthshire described it as:
"...an elevated spot where a Tower (formerly a Roman watch-tower) was many years since rebuilt as an observatory and which is popularly known as 'The Folly'."
It is thought the tower was renovated around 1831 by Capel Hanbury Leigh. This date is derived from a keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
from the doorway bearing an '1831' inscription. The tower provided a vantage point over the local area and quickly became popular and a well known feature of the area.
In May 1935 an estimated 15 to 20,000 people gathered at the Folly Tower to celebrate the Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
with the lighting of a bonfire
Bonfire
A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
.
However, the folly, being open to the elements, began to fall into a state of disrepair during the late 1930s. Pontypool Park Estate Office attached notices to the structure informing visitors of the potential dangers of falling masonry. Its draw on the locals though remained unstinted and local poet and illustrator Myfanwy Haycock
Myfanwy Haycock
Myfanwy Haycock , born Blodwen Myfanwy Haycock in Pontnewynydd near Pontypool in the traditional county of Monmouthshire, was a poet, artist and broadcaster....
penned the following verse in 1937:
- Here where the hill holds heaven in her hands,
- High above Monmouthshire the grey tower stands,
- He is weather-worn and scarred, and very wise,
- For rainbows, clouds and stars shine through his eyes.
Demolition
On July 9, 1940, the War OfficeWar Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
ordered that, as a security measure under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
The Emergency Powers Act 1939 was emergency legislation passed just prior to the outbreak of World War II by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to enable the British Government to take up emergency powers to prosecute the war effectively...
, the Folly be demolished
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
. This was in the belief that its presence would be a landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
for the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
seeking to raid the nearby Royal Ordnance Factory at ROF Glascoed
ROF Glascoed
ROF Glascoed was a UK government-owned, Royal Ordnance Factory. It was designed as one of 20 munitions filling factories. It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that, unlike some other similar facilities, it would remain open for production after the end of World...
to the east
East
East is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.East is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of west and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the right side of a map is east....
beyond Little Mill
Little Mill
Little Mill is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, United Kingdom. The village has grown in size in recent years and has as a result a population of over 1,000.- Location :...
.
Initial rebuilding schemes
In 1946, Pontypool Chamber of Trade led the first campaign to rebuild the local landmark but the project stalled quickly. Another attempt in 1948 campaigns started to collect public donations to rebuild the Folly Tower. However, an attempt to get local council funding was thwarted during a local council meeting in July of that year. The council's priority at the time being post-war house building programmes in the local area.Rebuilding
At the beginning of 1990, a number of local historians and conservationists decided it was time to restore the Folly Tower to its former glory and a committee was set up to canvas various funding bodies as well as open negotiations with the National Park Authority. The creation of the Campaign for the Reconstruction of the Folly Tower (CROFT) then achieved sufficient backing so that the required £60,000 was raised to rebuild the Folly Tower. Contributions were made by The Prince of Wales' Committee and European Regional Development FundEuropean Regional Development Fund
The European Regional Development Fund is a fund allocated by the European Union.-History:During the 1960s, the European Commission occasionally tried to establish a regional fund. Only Italy ever supported this, however, and nothing came of it. Britain made it an issue for their accession in...
.
In April 1990 the original foundations
Foundation engineering
Foundation Engineering is the engineering field of study devoted to the design of those structures which support other structures, most typically buildings, bridges or transportation infrastructure. It is at the periphery of Civil, Structural and Geotechnical Engineering disciplines and has...
of the tower were unearthed and the original dimensions of the tower were obtained. Planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
for the reconstruction was given by Brecon Beacons National Park authorities in October of the same year.
In May 1991, 175 tonnes of dressed stone from the recently demolished Cwmffrwdoer Primary School was donated to the campaign by Torfaen Borough Council
Torfaen County Borough Council
Torfaen County Borough Council is the governing body for Torfaen, one of the Principal Areas of Wales.- Current composition :-Electoral divisions:...
. Rebuilding work commenced on the tower during November 1992 by local building company, Davies and Jenkins. Building work ceased during the winter and resumed in the spring of 1993. The tower stood at approximately 20 ft (6 m) by September 1993 before work ceased again for the oncoming winter. Work restarted in the spring of 1994 and by July work on both the interior and exterior was complete.
The tower was officially reopened by HRH the Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
on July 22, 1994. A plaque on the side of the tower commemorates the opening and reads:
"Folly Tower, Rebuilt 1994. This scheme has been financed by the European Regional Development Fund, Torfaen Borough, Croft Pontypool, Gwent County Council, The Prince of Wales' Committee"
External links
- Torfaen Borough Council information
- Photos of the Folly Tower shows it as The Folly or Tŵr Watch
- Photo of the tower