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FABULOUS FOLLIES
...and Landscape Curiosities

 Hampshire and Isle of Wight

BEAULIEU

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Gazebos

The small towers, at the corners of a dry moat around a courtyard, were part of John the 2nd Duke of Montagu's remodelling of Palace House at Beaulieu from 1709 onwards.

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 BEAULIEU                                                               SU 397 030

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Clock House

A sign reads:

'Originally the entrance for visitors to Beaulieu Abbey, where alms were given out to the poor in the form of food and clothing, a village clock had been added by 1737.

The present clock and tower were installed in 1885.'


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BEAULIEU                                                               SU 397 030

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  Monks Well

  Monks Well is a late 13th century wellhouse at Hill   Top which supplied Beaulieu Abbey with water.

  In the 18th century, the Duke of Montagu had the well   connected to supply the village using hollow tree   trunks. This supply continued until after the Second   World War.

BEAULIEU                                                                SU 407 002

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  Dukes Bath Cottage

  The thatched cottage at Bucklers Hard was built in         1760 for the son of the third Duke of Montagu, Lord        Brudenell, who suffered from arthritis. A pool was           made in the garden and filled with salt water to relieve    his condition. 








  Date taken: 13/10/2008

BOLDRE                                           SZ 332 958

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  Burrard-Neale Monument

  The Egyptian-style obelisk was designed by G. Draper   of  Chichester and was built in 1840 by G. Banks. It is   a  memorial to Admiral Sir Harry  Burrard-Neale (1765-   1840) of Walhampton, MP for Lymington. He was     buried at Church of St Thomas, Lymington, from where   there is a vista down the High Street that is terminated   by the obelisk.


















  

BREAMORE                                   

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  Water Tower

  A water tower was built in the 19th century to match   the style of Breamore House.









​  Date taken:04/07/2012

BREAMORE                                                             SU 152 190

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Game Larder

There is a game larder at Breamore House.










​Date taken: 04/07/2012

BREAMORE

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Great British Maze

After a competition in the Sunday Times, Ian Leich made the Maze at Braemore House in 1983. It's design is based on the outline of field gates.








​Date taken: 04/07/2012

BRIGHSTONE (IoW)                  

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  ​Miss Bull's Thimble

BROUGHTON                                                         SU 308 330

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  Dovecote

  Records suggest that the dovecote in St Mary's     Churchyard at Broughton was built in 1689, on the site   of a 14th century dovecote.

  It has 482 nest boxes reached from a ladder. 






  Date taken: 24/05/2017

EAST COWES (IoW)                      SZ 51 95

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  Shell House

  The Shell House was in Cambridge Street where             fishmonger Frederick Attill started to decorate his     house with shells when he was 78 in 1916. He spent the   next ten years, until his death, covering every part with   shells and broken pottery.

  It is said that he had been given the house by Queen   Victoria for smacking one of her children for being   naughty.

  From the 1920s to 1970s, visitors did not have to pay   an entrance fee but were expected to buy a postcard   like the one illustrated.

  In the 1990s, the shells were removed, probably   because the owners found that visitors were intrusive.  

EAST COWES (IoW)                      SZ 525 952

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  The Queen's Alcove

  An alcove was built in 1869 on the beach near Osborne   House for Queen Victoria.









​  Date taken: 29/09/2015

EAST COWES                                                          SZ 525 947

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  Albert Barracks

  A toy fort was made in about 1860 by Queen Victoria's   children who are said to have even made the bricks.

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Date taken: 29/09/2015

EAST COWES                                                         SZ 525 947

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  Swiss Cottage

  A Swiss Cottage, in the grounds of Osborne House, was   erected in 1853 for a playhouse for Queen Victoria's   children.





  Postcard posted: 1905

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EAST COWES                                                         SZ 525 947

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  Thatched hut

 
Near to the Swiss Cottage is a thatched hut which was   built for Queen Victoria's children.








  Date taken: 29/09/2015

 FAWLEY                                                                  SU 476 009

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  Luttrell's Tower

   Luttrell's Tower at Eaglehurst was designed by Thomas   Sandby in about 1780 for Temple Simon Luttrell,   Member of Parliament for Milborne Port. It is thought   that he may have used the tower for smuggling goods   from the Isle of Wight to Southampton.

  In 1912, Marconi used the tower for his wireless   experiments.

  The tower was altered in the 19th century and restored   in about 1978.

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HECKFIELD                                                                SU 717 615

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Wellington Monument

In 1863, a granite Corinthian column was erected surmounted by a bronze statue of the Duke of Wellington by Baron Carlo Marochrtti. 

It is at the entrance to Stratfield Saye House that was given by the nation in 1817 to Arthur Wellersley, 1st Duke of Wellington. 

HIGHCLERE                                                              SU 449 587

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Jackdaw's Castle

In 1733, Berkeley House, Piccadilly, burned down and Corinthian columns were salvaged and used to construct the Greek Temple at Highclere and was therefore named 'Jackdaw's Castle'.

It was built in about 1740 and was possibly designed by Lord Pembroke.


​It is called 'Jack's Castle on this postcard.

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Date taken: 14/08/2007

HIGHCLERE                                                           SU 455 600

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   Temple of Diana

  The Temple of Diana was erected at Highclere before   1743. The smooth Ionic columns are said to be from   Devonshire House in Piccadilly which was built in 1672   and destroyed by fire in 1733.

  The temple was altered in the mid 19th century by   Charles Barry and was repaired in 2008.

HOUGHTON                                                                SU 343 329

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Houghton Lodge Grotto

The Grotto at Houghton Lodge was made of flint in the early 19th century and is the doorway from the road into the garden, rather like a postern gate.








​Date taken: 26/09/2015

HURSLEY                                                                SU 400 280

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  Farley Mount
A plaque is inscribed;
UNDERNEATH LIES BURIED A HORSE THE PROPERTY OF PAULET ST JOHN ESQ THAT IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 1733 LEAPED INTO A CHALK PIT TWENTYFIVE FEET DEEP A FOXHUNTING WITH HIS MASTER ON HIS BACK AND IN OCTOBER 1734 HE WON THE HUNTERS PLATE ON WORTHY DOWNS AND WAS RODE BY HIS OWNER AND ENTERED IN THE NAME OF ''BEWARE CHALK PIT''THE ABOVE BEING THE WORDS OF THE ORIGINAL INSCRIPTION WERE RESTORED BY THE RT HON. SIR WILLIAM HEATHCOTE BARONET SEP. A. D. 1870.

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Date taken: 14/10/2008
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Date taken: 24/05/2017

LEPE

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Tower

A small tower overlooks Lepe Beach and the Isle of Wight.

LYMINGTON AND PENNINGTON                   SZ 324 951

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  ​Crinkle Crankle Wall

  Compare with the crinkle-crankle wall at 
  EYE Suffolk









 
Date taken: 02/10/2015

MOTTISFONT

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Fisherman's Hut

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MOTTISFONT                                                         SU 325 270

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Mottisfont Abbey Icehouse












Date taken: 04/10/2011

MOTTISFONT

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Summerhouse











Date taken: 04/10/2011

MOTTISFONT

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Temple




















Date taken: 04/10/2011

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​Date taken: 04/10/2011
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Date taken: 22/05/2017

MOTTISFONT                                                             SU 326 269

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Statue of Boy

The stone statue is of a young man with a hunting dog. 








Date taken: 16/05/2022

 NETHER WALLOP                                                SU 303 363

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Nether Wallop Pyramid

The 15 feet high pyramid in Nether Wallop churchyard is a mausoleum for Dr Francis Douce, who had endowed a school in the village.








​Date taken: 14/10/08

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  Other pyramids can be seen at:

  Norfolk BLICKLING
  Sussex BRIGHTLING Jack Fuller Pyramid
  Yorkshire West Riding BRAMPTON BIERLOW
  Yorkshire West Riding HUNTWICK WITH FOULBY AND        NOSTELL
  Yorkshire West Riding SHAROW
  Yorkshire West Riding WEST BRETTON




  Date taken: 14/10/2008

ROMSEY                                                                   SU 350 212

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Gothic screen

In Romsey vicarage garden, medieval masonry was salvaged from Romsey Abbey during restoration in the mid 19th century. The 15th century windows were erected to form a screen and a 12th century doorway is incorporated in the garden wall. Five light 15th century windows have also been used.





​Date taken: 4/10/2011

RYDE                                                                        SZ 608 922

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  Appley Tower

  The Appley estate was owned by George Young, a   Scottish corn merchant. His house, designed by local   architect Thomas Hellyer, was demolished in the 1950s.

  In 1872, it was bought by Sir William Hutt who built the   Gothic lookout tower in about 1875.

SELBORNE                                       

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Palladian Alcove

A reconstruction of a Palladian-style alcove in Gilbert White's garden replaced the original one that had straw doors and was built in 1762.


SHERBORNE ST JOHN                                       SU 637 569

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Vyne Park Summerhouse











Date taken: 02/10/2011

SHERBORNE ST JOHN                                       SU 636 568

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  ​The Vyne Lodge












 
Date taken: 02/10/2011

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SOUTHAMPTON                                                    SU 418 111

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  Pilgrim Fathers Memorial

  The Pilgrim Fathers Memorial, erected in 1913, was   designed by R. M. Lucas to commemorate the Mayflower   and Speedwell sailing from Southampton in 1620. A   bronze model of the Mayflower is surmounted on the   dome.

















​  Date taken: 01/10/2015

SWAY                                                                          SZ 279 967

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Peterson's Tower

The 220 feet high tower at Sway was built by Andrew Thomas Peterson, who was born in Yorkshire in 1813 and died in London in 1906. It was the first building in Britain to be built of concrete and took from 1879 to 1885 to complete.

Peterson had been a high court judge in India and wanted to introduce Hindu burial customs in England, however he was cremated and his ashes were placed in the tower. He was also influenced by Mrs Girling, a shaker from the New Forest.
















​Postcard posted: 1906


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​Date taken: 18/08/2014

SWAY                                                                        SZ 279 967

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Peterson's Small Tower






















Date taken: 13/02/2007

WINCHESTER

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The City Cross

The City Cross is also known as the High Cross or Butter Cross and dates back to the 15th century.

In 1770, it was sold by the Paving Commissioners to Mr Drummer, but the people of Winchester rioted when he tried to remove it.

It was restored by George Gilbert Scott in 1865.


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​Date taken: 03/10/2011

WINCHESTER                                                        SU 485 293

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  King Alfred's Statue

​  The bronze statue of King Alfred, the Saxon King who   rebuilt Winchester as his capital, is by Hamo Thornycroft.
























​  Postcard posted: 1905

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Date taken: 03/10/2011

WINCHESTER

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Miz Maze

The extensive Miz Maze is on the top of St Catherine's Hill at Winchester.

There are also old mazes at;
​Julian's Bower, ALKBOROUGH, Lincolnshire.
City of Troy, DALBY-CUM-SKEWSBY, North Riding.





​Date taken: 03/10/2011

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WROXALL (IoW)

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  Freemantle Arch

  Freemantle Arch is a Roman-style archway designed by   James Wyatt in the late 18th century as the main   gateway from Godshill to Appuldurcombe House.

  Appuldurcombe House was bombed in 1943. It was for   sale in 2015 for £6m and would need an estimated   £10m to restore.


​  Postcard posted: 1908

Copyright Ray Blyth 2018