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FABULOUS FOLLIES
...and Landscape Curiosities

Northumberland

ALNWICK                                                                 NU 191 130

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Percy Tenantry Column

An eighty three feet tall column, with a Percy lion passant on top, was designed by David Stephenson in 1816 and completed by the 3rd Duke. The 2nd Duke of Northumberland's tenant farmers paid for the column in gratitude for the Duke reducing their rents by 25% because of the fall in crop prices after the end of war in 1814. However, the Duke then increased the rents back again thinking that they could afford them if they could pay for the column. It is also known as The Farmer's Folly.

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ANCROFT                                                                 NU 419 437

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Haggerston Tower

An 18th century house was rebuilt by R. Norman Shaw in 1893-7 for Thomas Leyland. It burned down in 1903 and was built again by J. B. Dunn. In 1933 the house was demolished and the tower, that had been built as a water tower and belvedere, was left standing.

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  Haggerston Rotunda

  The Baroque style remains of the 18th century house is now used by   the holiday park.

BAMBURGH                                                            NU 146 334

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  Spindlestone Ducket

  Although often described as a windmill, the 65 feet high   tower at Spindlestone was probably built as a dovecote   in the 18th century.

  It has recently been restored as holiday   accommodation.

BARDON MILL

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  Summerhouse

  A rustic summerhouse at Allen Banks has recently been   rebuilt.

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BARDON MILL

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​Allen Banks bridge

BELSAY

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  ​Garden seat

BELSAY                                                                    NZ 088 783

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Great Arch

When Charles Monk had stone excavated to build Belsay Hall, he had the quarry made into a Picturesque garden. The Great Arch is one of the features.

BELSEY

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  ​Doorway 

BELSAY                                                                     NZ 080 785

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Bantam Folly

Bantam Folly is a Gothick ferme ornee eyecatcher built in about 1757 for Sir William Middleton. The central arch has a castellated dovecote tower that was designed to have an 88 feet hire spire, but it was much shorter so Monck had it removed in the early 19th century.

BERWICK-UPON-TWEED

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  Loo-vre
 
  A Victorian ladies' toilet block on Bankhill was made   into an ice cream kiosk and opened in April 2014.

BLAGDON

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Northumberlandia

Using 1,500,000 tonnes of excavated materials from the adjacent open-cast coal mine, Charles Jenks designed the 1,300 feet long 112 feet high landform of what is said to be the largest land sculpture of a female form in the world. the site was opened by Princess Anne on the 29th August 2012. Northumberlandia is also known as 'The Lady of the North' and also as 'Slag Alice'.

BRANXTON                                     NT 889 372

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  Flodden Memorial

  The Battle of Flodden Field is said to have been the   largest battle fought between England and Scotland. It   was a victory for the English who were commanded by   Thomas Howard, against the Scots under King James IV.

  The memorial was erected in 1910 by the Berwickshire   Naturalists Club. 

​  The bronze plaque is inscribed:

     Battle of Flodden
     1513
     TO THE DEAD OF BOTH NATIONS
     Erected 1910

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BRANXTON                                                             NT 913 359

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  Sybil Grey's Well

  Sybil Grey's Well was made around 1869 for Louise,   Marchioness of Waterford, so that she could visit it with   her gusts staying at Ford Castle.

  An inscription based on a poem by Walter Scott reads:

      Drink, weary pilgrim, Drink and stay,
      Rest by the well of Sybil Grey.

BRANXTON

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Cement Menagerie

After retiring in 1961 from being a joiner at the age of 80, the owner of a garden in Branxton spent 20 years making life-sized concrete animals for his handicapped son.


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CHILLINGHAM

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  ​Belvedere 

CHILLINGHAM                                                       NU 056 255

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West Lodge Gateway

The West Lodge Gateway to Chillingham Castle was designed by Edward Blore, in the Tudor and Jacobean styles, for the Earl of Tankerville. The date of 1835 is on the lodge.

CHILLINGHAM

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CHOLLERTON                                                          NY 935 734

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West Lodge

The triumphal arch at West Lodge is the entrance to Swinburne Castle. The old castle was demolished in about 1760 and a mansion built for Thomas Riddell.

DENWICK                                          NU 158 147

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Brizlee Tower

The 1st Duke of Northumberland is said to have designed the elaborate Gothick belvedere in Hulne Park, near Alnwick.

There is an inscription in Latin that translates as;

    Look around!
    I have measured out all these things;
    they are my orders,
    it is my planting;
    many of these trees have been planted by my hand.

Perhaps the Duke just liked to boast, and it is more likely that the 80 feet high tower was designed by John Adam in 1777. The date stone has the date 1781, when it was completed.

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DENWICK

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Hulne Park cottage

Hulne Park, near Alnwick, was landscaped by Lancelot Brown for Hugh, the 1st Duke of Northumberland. On the way to Brizlee Tower is a cottage with a Gothic façade.

DUDDO                                                                     NT 882 434

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  Twizell Castle

  Twizell Castle was designed by James Nesbit of Kelso     for Sir Francis Blake. Work started in about 1770 but   was still uncompleted nearly 50 years later.

FORD                                                                          NT 948 376

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Smithy

The Blacksmith's Forge on the Ford estate has a horseshoe-shaped doorway. It was built in 1863 for the Marchioness of Waterford and her monogram is on the left hand gable.

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FORD                                                

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  Waterford Memorial Fountain

  Lady Waterford had the memorial built in 1880 in   memory of her husband, the 3rd Marquis of Waterford,   who was killed in a hunting accident in 1859.

FORD

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Ford Castle

Ford Castle was built between 1773 and 1801 for Sir John Hussey Delaval on the site of a 14th century castle.

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FORD                                                                         NT 944 375

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Game Tower

At the rear of Ford Castle is a 19th century circular tower that was used to hang game birds that were shot on the estate. The inside walls are lined with ornamental tiles and there is a marble slab.

HARLOW HILL

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KIELDER                                                                 NY 631 934

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  Kielder Castle

  Kielder Castle was built as a hunting lodge between   1772 and 1775, and designed by William Newton in the   Gothic style, using the 1st Duke of Northumberland's   plans. 

  It was extended in the mid 19th century in a Tudor   style, and further extensions were made in 1926 in a   Gothic style. 

KIELDER                                                                  NY 632 934

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Cat Cairn Skyspace

James Turrell built The Kielder Skyspace in 2000. He says 'My work is not so much about my seeing as about your seeing. There is no one between you and your experience'.

KIRKLEY                                                                   NZ 146 769

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Obelisk

The obelisk at Kirkley Hall is about 60 feet high and was erected for Newton Ogle. The inscription reads:

VENDICATAE LIBERTAS PUBLICAE
ANNO CENTESSIMO
SAPUTIS MDCCLXXXVIII

Above the inscription is an oval panel with a Jacobin cap on a pole. It is thought that the obelisk was erected on the centenary of the 1688 revolution.






LINDISFARNE

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Emmanuel Head Pyramid

The 35 feet high pyramid is a navigation aid known as a daymark and can be seen from a great distance out at sea.

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LINDISFARNE                                                         NU 100 436

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Snook Tower

Snook Tower is attached to a stable with a ladder to the crenulated lookout. It was probably built when, in about 1850, a Dundee company started to mine coal and ironstone nearby.

MIDDLETON                                                          NU 94 35

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  Middleton Hall Lodge

NEWBIGGIN BY THE SEA

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  Couple

  Couple is a five metre high bronze sculpture of a man   and woman standing on a steel structure so that at high   tide they look like they are   standing on water. The   sculpture was by Sean Henry and was installed in 2007.

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  A replica of the Couple is on the foreshore.

PONTELAND                                                            NZ 164 728

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Vicar's Pele

The original tower house is thought to have been 14th century but it was altered in the early 17th century and became part of a vicarage.

It was restored in 1971.

ROTHBURY                                                           NU 069 021

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Cragside Pay Office

The clock Tower at Cragside was built in 1864, originally as a pay office for the Cragside Estate. Lord Armstrong may have designed the clock mechanism himself.

ROTHLEY                                                                 NZ 044 901

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Codger's Fort

It was once thought that Codger's Fort, just north of Rothley Castle, was built around 1744 as a defence against a Jacobite invasion. A design by Thomas Wright of Durham, dated 1769, is evidence that it was built for Sir Walter Blackett.

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SEATON VALLEY                                                 NZ 339 768

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  Octagon

 
The Octagon, at Seaton Sluice, probably dates from the   time when the harbour was rebuilt between 1761 and   1764.

  It has now been converted into a house.

SEATON VALLEY                                                  NZ 339 768

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  Neptune

  The figure of Neptune was made out of sea clay by Tom   Newstead, a former boat builder. It is one of three   sculptures he made as part of the Seaton Sluice Art   Project. 

SEATON VALLEY                                                   NZ 323 766

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Ferme Ornee

SEATON VALLEY                                                 NZ 323 766

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Seaton Delaval Icehouse

SEATON VALLEY                                                   NZ 334 761

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Starlight Castle

Sir John Delaval had a bet that he could build a castle overnight and he is said to have built Starlight Castle for Lady Delaval. It is marked on maps as Stirling Castle, but follies deserve a good story.

SEATON VALLEY                                                   NZ 323 765

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Privy

The early 18th century building near to Seaton Delaval Hall is thought to have been a privy. Perhaps it could have been a summerhouse designed by John Vanbrugh and used much later for other purposes.

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SEATON VALLEY                                                  NZ 324 767

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  Orangery

  The Orangery at Seaton Delaval was built in the early   19th century and was possibly designed by John   Vanbrugh. It has a five bay Roman Doric front.

  In the 1940s teas were served on Saturdays from the   Orangery when it was a dwelling known as Hall Gardens.

WALLINGTON DEMESNE                                NZ028 843

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  Clock Tower Gate

  The Clock Tower Gate at Wallington was originally   designed as a chapel by Daniel Garrett, though the   unsigned drawing in Wallington Hall is  attributed to     James Paine. In 1754, it was built as a coach house with   the Venetian windows being replaced with doors.

WALLINGTON DEMESNE                                 NZ 030 842

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Dragons' Heads

The four carved dragons' heads on the lawn at Wallington Hall are probably 16th century. They were brought from Bishopsgate (or Aldergate), London, that was demolished in 1760, as ballast in a coal barge belonging to Sir Walter Calverley Blackett. They were on top of Rothley Castle and later moved to their present position in 1928.


WALLINGTON DEMESNE                                NZ 026 841

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  Icehouse

WALLINGTON DEMESNE                                  NZ 034 843

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The Owl House

The two-storey Owl House was built as a gazebo in about 1766 and the lower floor is now hidden by a greenhouse.


WALLINGTON DEMESNE                                 NZ 032 844

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Portico House

The ground floor of the cottage probably designed by Daniel Garrett in about 1750 is recessed behind a Roman Doric screen.

WALLINGTON DEMESNE                                  NZ 030 845

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Sir Walter's Privy

WARKWORTH                                NU 241 059

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  Hermitage

  A 14th century cell and chapel was carved out of rock   on the bank of the River Coquet.

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Copyright Ray Blyth 2015
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