Itinerary:
- Browns Folly - Bathford
- Glove Factory - Holt
- Courts Gardens - Holt
Lovely breakfast with Katrina and Alex at their home in Batheaston. Sun has come out
and reveals this charming little Georgian village. Bluebells and daffodils
coming up. Off to a few local sites and cafes today.
Will spend much of this next week
popping in around places in the Bath area and then our road trip to Wales.
Staying at this amazing place in Portmerion K and A found. Check it out:
Browns Folly
Brown's Folly is a folly tower on the Farleigh Rise near the village of Bathford in Somerset, England. The Folly was designated a Grade II listed building in 1988.[1] It gave its name to Brown's Folly, a 100 acre Site of Special Scientific Interest, notified in 1974.[2]
The tower was built in 1845 by Colonel Wade Browne, the squire of Monkton Farleigh Manor, to provide employment during an agricultural recession.[2] It replaced a semaphore tower which had previously stood on the site.[3]
The tower has a square plan and tapers as it rises. The upper stage has round arched openings from with the balustrades have disappeared.[4]
In 1907 the tower was renovated by the owner of the estate, Charles Hobhouse, who had his shooting parties meet at the tower.[5][6]Demolition was suggested in 1938 but did not take place.[7] The Folly is structurally sound, but is not currently open to the public. Since 1998 it has been maintained by the Folly Fellowship who replaced the roof.[5]
A depiction of the Folly appears on the unofficial coat of arms of Bathford Parish Council.
Glove Factory - Holt
Delightful lunch outside in one of our favourite cafes in the Bath area.
Courts Gardens - Holt
Originally created between 1900 and 1921 The Courts Garden was based on a Hidcote model, it is now freshened and superbly planted and maintained. It is a manageable seven acres of topiary, hedges, pools and plants in satisfying harmony.
Divided into sections which are not rigidly defined, but tend to flow from one to another, it offers good surprises as you turn the corners. The wonderfully lopsided, bulging yew topiary, eccentric box shapes, formal pool and spacious lawns set off the flowers perfectly. Wilder at the edges.
Divided into sections which are not rigidly defined, but tend to flow from one to another, it offers good surprises as you turn the corners. The wonderfully lopsided, bulging yew topiary, eccentric box shapes, formal pool and spacious lawns set off the flowers perfectly. Wilder at the edges.
