On one of the occasional Wild Poets walks run by Mole Valley Poets, we came across a Folly – Broadwood’s Folly, a round tower on the slopes of Box Hill, half hidden by trees, but commanding a view across the valley worth admiring.

 

A Folly tends to get people thinking, speculating about purpose, past usage, and the builders, in this case Thomas Broadwood, of the piano family, who owned the Juniper Hill estate. I can find no record of use, although it appears to have had two floors and good viewing windows.

 

There are Follies all over the country, some of which did have specific purposes. Yorke’s Folly overlooking Nidderdale, and the Druid’s Temple in Masham were built to provide employment in difficult economic times, evidence of benevolent paternalism among the landed classes, while Colonel Lacy of Salkeld Hall excavated caves by the River Eden and used them to entertain guests. Others appear to have been built simply on a whim but were they acts of folly?

 

It struck me that there are worse uses of time than building a tower, worse decisions to make. You don’t have to look very far to see the truth of that, especially at the moment. Maybe a tower with a viewing platform leant itself to a Victorian equivalent of mindfulness, a connecting with nature. In its original state it would certainly have been a great place to sit and write.

 

One of my friends and fellow poets suggested a poem about a Folly and the result is below, with thanks to Heather Shakespeare, who made the suggestion and provided the image.

 

 

 

Folly

 

Robert’s brothers found him odd

eccentric

a little ridiculous

 

Vincent revelled in his status

the oldest

favoured

the heir

and spent his time

and money

in gambling and drinking

in the clubs of Soho

 

James

number two son

drifted round the ancient world

returning with stolen artefacts

and a bad case of syphilis

 

for Robert they had only scorn

the runt of the litter

settled into his country life

with his horses

his dogs

his tenants

his soft spots

 

when he built himself a tower

for no better reason than the view

when he walked to it

sat

drank it in

used it

to entertain his friends

 

this

they said

was folly