Belchamp Walter Folly

Belchamp Walter Folly - Belchamp Walter

Located in Belchamp Walter, 430 metres South West of Belchamp Hall, the Folly is built in the 19th Century at approximately the same time as the renovations on St. Mary's Church. It is Probable that John Mayne St. Clere Raymond funded the folly's construction.

The structure was built to be viewed from a bay window in the West of Belchamp Hall through a gap in the trees across the Hall's lawns. As a "Folly", a building in the form of a small castle, temple, etc., that has been built as a decoration in a large garden or park:, it has no rooms and is just a facade.

Historic England listing for the Folly - 1306466

" Sham Castle/folly. C19. Of flint and uncoursed rubble with red brick dressings and detail. Tall narrow tower at north end with tall brick battlements, cross shaped openings and linked to main wall by a brick arch. The central section of wall has a pointed arched window opening, a spur wall and is slightly curved on its east face. To the south is a circular 'tower' much covered in ivy. Originally built to be an eyecatcher from Belchamp Hall. "

Historic England listing for the Folly - from the listing of the gardens

" PARK
The small park at Belchamp Hall surrounds the gardens from the south-east to north-north-west and is mainly composed of woodland with an area of open parkland to the south-west of the raised terrace walk. Beyond the boundary of the park, c 440m south-west of the Hall, is a flint and rubble sham castle (listed grade II), built in the late C19 as an eyecatcher from the terrace walk, to be seen through a controlled gap in the park's perimeter plantation. Late C20 growth in the woodland has closed this gap. "

The post you may find making an Internet search: - cindyinsuffolk's blog

There is no internal room inside the Folly at Belchamp Walter.

The description of the Folly that appears in cindyinsuffolk's blog is for a different structure that is within the Hall's gardens and cannot be seen unless you are within the gardens.

" Around 1871 a sham castle folly was built in the park belonging to Belchamp Hall to act as an eyecatcher from the gardens. It is a square tower-like structure of rubble and large blocks of re-used stone. The north front has a pointed arched door. Internally there is a small octagonal panelled room with domed plaster ceiling … I want one! "

The description is for a Victorian summer house that has been used as a back-drop for wedding photographs for events held at Belchamp Hall.

The as far as is known the structure is as described and there is an inscription on its facade "Fortuna Mea In Bello Campo".

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Background to this page

Having seen some of my history pages being found by those making an Internet search I have decided to add a bit more context on how the pages came about.

The link to cindyinsuffolk was removed as I have no interest in promoting her blog.

Belchamp Walter Folly - Belchamp Walter

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