 |
Home
Photographs from the project
Princess Royal visit to Flounders Folly
Flounders Folly Restoration Project - what we achieved
|
|
|
|
Princess Royal visit to Flounders Folly
Location: Shropshire
October 2005
Princess Royal to climb 80ft folly for a bird's eye view of Shropshire.
Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal will see Shropshire from a new height on 31st October, when she climbs to the top of Flounders’ Folly, near Craven Arms.
The Folly has been restored by a team of local residents, led by Sula Rayska, who was incensed that the Grade 2 listed, 80ft landmark was falling into disrepair. It had once belonged to actress Julie Christie but in 1999 a Trust formed by Ms Rayska and friends was able to buy it for just £1.
With a grant of £13,635 from the Local Heritage Initiative, and help from the Heritage Lottery Fund and many individual and charitable trusts, the Folly has now been restored to its former glory, offering views across the Malverns, the Black Mountains, Skirrid, Cader Idris, The Long Mynd and The Wrekin.
Flounders’ Folly was built by Benjamin Flounders, a Quaker from Yorkshire, in 1838 probably to celebrate his seventieth birthday. He was born in Yarm in Yorkshire on 17 June 1768. Flounders inherited the Culmington estate in Shropshire from his uncle Gideon Bickerdike, who had intended leaving it to endow the Quaker Ackworth School near Pontefract, but changed his mind and left it to Benjamin Flounders with £200,000 in 1807. Flounders himself was baptised into the Church of England in 1817, his love of field sports and port apparently having upset the Quakers.
It’s taken a great deal of hard work and determination, as local volunteers have been clearing the site from overgrown scrub, planting new hedges and doing historical research.
Ms. Rayska said: ” We are very thrilled that Her Royal Highness is taking time during her visit to Shropshire to come and see Flounders’ Folly and recognise the tremendous work that all our volunteers and the contractors have done in restoring the Folly.’
For the Local Heritage Initiative, Camille Newton said: “ This is a wonderful achievement, and one which will tower over Shropshire for centuries to come. We are delighted that the team are to have royal recognition for their work”.
The Princess Royal will arrive at Flounders Folly, near Craven Arms, at 2.25pm., on 31st October 2005 and will leave at approximately 2.55. The Folly can be found by taking a track leading north off the B4368 just east of Manor Adventure, about 3 miles east of Craven Arms. The route will be signposted on the day. This is a private track and is only available for guests and press attending the opening event. On other open days access is only available for walkers using signposted public footpaths.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
