Follies · South Wales
Folly Tower, Pontypool
The Folly Tower (Welsh: Tŵr Ffoledd) is a folly located within the grounds of a working farm, close to Pontypool Park, Torfaen, South Wales (Grid ref: SO 2954902550). It is a prominent local landmark
David Roberts — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 20 min–45 min
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
About
The Folly Tower (Welsh: Tŵr Ffoledd) is a folly located within the grounds of a working farm, close to Pontypool Park, Torfaen, South Wales (Grid ref: SO 2954902550). It is a prominent local landmark above the A4042 Pontypool to Abergavenny road and overlooks Pontypool to the west and rural Monmouthshire to the east. The Folly is octagonal in shape and roughly 40 ft (12 m) high and is approximately 1,000 ft (305 m) above sea level on the eastern hill range of the Eastern Valley of Monmouthshire, just south of Mynydd Garn-Wen. Less than a mile from the folly is the Shell Grotto.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
The Folly Tower (Welsh: Tŵr Ffoledd) is a folly located within the grounds of a working farm, close to Pontypool Park, Torfaen, South Wales (Grid ref: SO 2954902550). It is a prominent local landmark above the A4042 Pontypool to Abergavenny road and overlooks Pontypool to the west and rural Monmouthshire to the east. The Folly is octagonal in shape and roughly 40 ft (12 m) high and is approximately 1,000 ft (305 m) above sea level on the eastern hill range of the Eastern Valley of Monmouthshire, just south of Mynydd Garn-Wen. Less than a mile from the folly is the Shell Grotto.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The precise date of construction is unknown but it is generally thought that the original tower was built around 1765 to 1770 by John Hanbury, a local landowner and ironmaster who owned Pontypool Park. The local name of The Folly was in use as far back as 1865 when the Free Press of Monmouthshire described it as: <blockquote>"...an elevated spot where a Tower (formerly a Roman watch-tower) was many years since rebuilt as an observatory and which is popularly known as 'The Folly'."</blockquote> It is thought that the tower was renovated around 1831 by Capel Hanbury Leigh. This date is derived from a keystone from the doorway bearing an '1831' inscription. The tower provides a vantage point…
Visiting
Access to the Folly Tower is via a field which is part of a working farm. Livestock is often present, not only in this field, but on the common land surrounding the council car park. A barrier was erected in 2010 to protect the area to prevent campers and other visitors overstaying.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.7168, -3.0219
- District
- Monmouthshire
- Parish
- Goetre Fawr
- Postcode
- NP4 8TS
- Parliamentary constituency
- Monmouthshire
Sources
- wikipedia: Folly Tower, Pontypool (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Folly Tower, Pontypool?
- Folly Tower, Pontypool is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode NP4 8TS), in the parish of Goetre Fawr.
- Who owns Folly Tower, Pontypool?
- Folly Tower, Pontypool is owned by Torfaen County Borough Council.
- Is Folly Tower, Pontypool free to visit?
- Yes, Folly Tower, Pontypool is free to enter.
- How do I get to Folly Tower, Pontypool?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode NP4 8TS. It sits within the Monmouthshire parliamentary constituency.