Description
Follies: Fabulous, Fanciful and Frivolous Buildings by Gwyn Headley is an illustrated exploration of Britain’s most eccentric architectural anomalies. Published in collaboration with the National Trust, the book operates as both a historical record and a travel gazetteer dedicated to structures built primarily for fun, vanity, or pure aesthetic obsession.
The synopsis of the book’s core narrative and components includes:
Core Content & Scope
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- The Anatomy of Architectural Eccentricity: Headley examines the bizarre history and construction of “follies”—structures that deliberately defy practical utility. The book documents a vast array of ornamental landscape features, including imposing prospect towers, artificial “prehistoric” stone circles, fake medieval ruins, ornamental temples, and rustic hermits’ cottages.
- Profiles of Eccentric Creators: A major pillar of the text is its deep dive into the lives and minds of the wealthy aristocrats and landowners who funded these projects. Headley introduces larger-than-life historical figures driven by religious mania, vanity, or obsession, such as:
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- Sir Thomas Tresham: A fervent Catholic whose religious devotion inspired the creation of the extraordinary, symbol-laden Lyveden New Bield.
- Frederick Hervey (the “Earl-Bishop”): An eccentric figure famous for his fixations on rotundas, volcanoes, and women.
- Henry Hoare: The mastermind behind the elegant, classically inspired landscape gardens at Stourhead.
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- A Visual Guide to Survival: The book highlights specific historical sites across the British countryside (such as the craggy fake ruin at Mow Cop in Cheshire). It serves as a field guide for “folly-hunters,” charting how these properties have survived into the modern era, frequently under the protection of heritage conservation groups.
- The Anatomy of Architectural Eccentricity: Headley examines the bizarre history and construction of “follies”—structures that deliberately defy practical utility. The book documents a vast array of ornamental landscape features, including imposing prospect towers, artificial “prehistoric” stone circles, fake medieval ruins, ornamental temples, and rustic hermits’ cottages.
Key Takeaway
Ultimately, Follies is an insightful tribute to human whimsy and architectural unreason. Headley reframes these “useless” buildings not as historical mistakes, but as magnificent monuments to personal expression, landscape design, and the delightful oddities of British social history.
Hardcover. First Edition. 96 Pages. Fine Condition. Residue on The Front Cover and water damage evident in varying degrees from page 87 through page 97 — lower half). A lovely reading copy but not for collectors. We had to save this one — it’s a treasure even with the water damage.
