Follies · West Midlands
Alfreds Hall
Alfreds Hall — Folly or eyecatcher.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 20 min–45 min
- Nearest railway station
- Kemble · 5.7 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
About
Alfreds Hall is a folly — a piece of decorative architecture built more for the view than any practical purpose — in the United Kingdom. Wikidata describes it as: "Folly or eyecatcher.". Coordinates: 51.7268°, -2.0410°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cotswolds
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Alfred's Hall is a ruined folly in Cirencester Park, Gloucestershire, England. The Grade II* listed building dates from 1721 and is "probably the first Gothick sham ruin to be built in England".
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The building was designed by the local member of parliament, Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst and his friend, the poet Alexander Pope. The original 1721 structure was enlarged in 1732 and altered in the 19th century. Vandalism in the early 20th century damaged the building. Only one room survives, the other having collapsed in 1989. Its condition is described as "very bad", with an immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric". In 2019 a plan was drawn up for repair and stabilisation, however there was no evidence of work having started in 2021.
Architecture
The battlemented two-storey limestone building has ashlar dressings. Parts of the two-bay front survive and are supported by buttresses. The surviving room inside is approximately 12.6 m by 4.8 m and has the remains of oak panelling.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.7268, -2.0410
- County
- Gloucestershire
- District
- Cotswold
- Parish
- Cirencester
- Postcode
- GL7 6LT
- Parliamentary constituency
- South Cotswolds
- Established
- 1721
- Nearest railway station
- Kemble — 5.7 km
Sources
- osm: w557054457 (ODbL)
- wikipedia: Alfred's Hall (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Alfreds Hall.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Alfreds Hall?
- Alfreds Hall is in Gloucestershire, the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode GL7 6LT), in the parish of Cirencester.
- When was Alfreds Hall built?
- Built or established in 1721.
- Who owns Alfreds Hall?
- Alfreds Hall is owned by | designation1 = Grade II* listed building.
- Is Alfreds Hall a protected site?
- Yes — Alfreds Hall is part of the Cotswolds National Landscape (AONB).
- Is Alfreds Hall free to visit?
- Yes, Alfreds Hall is free to enter.
- How do I get to Alfreds Hall?
- The nearest railway station is Kemble, about 5.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode GL7 6LT.