Boot's Folly
| Boot's Folly | |
|
Yorkshire | |
|---|---|
 Boot's Folly | |
| Type: | Folly tower |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SK23048991 |
| Location: | 53°24’20"N, 1°39’18"W |
| History | |
| Built 1927 | |
| For: | Charles Boot |
| Folly tower | |
| Information | |
Boot's Folly is a tower standing high on the south flanks of the valley now filled with the Strines Reservoir. It is also known on occasion as Strines Tower or Sugworth Tower,[1] but its usual name, Boot's Folly, reflects its having been built by Charles Boot. The Folly is Grade II listed building.
The tower is a folly, built in 1927 by Charles Boot who resided at nearby Sugworth Hall. It stands 45 feet high, a square tower with castellated top and flagpole, and it was built from leftover stone when the nearby Bents House was constructed. The stone for Bents House had come from the disused Bents Farm, Pears House Farm and Nether Holes Farm, which had been demolished because they were suspected of polluting the waters in the dale.
It is thought that Boot's Folly was constructed to provide work for Sugworth Hall's workmen during the Great Depression. There is also a theory, however, that Boot built the tower so he could see High Bradfield churchyard where his wife, who had died in 1926, aged 56, was buried.
Today the interior is bare but it originally had wood panelling and a large furnished room at the top where the Boot family could enjoy the view. There was a spiral staircase to the top, but this was removed some years ago after a cow climbed the stairs and became stuck.
The tower and gives fine views of the reservoir and Bradfield Dale.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Boot's Folly) |
References
- ↑ National Heritage List 1203769: Sugworth Tower (Grade II listing)
- Nunn, Malcolm: 'Around Bradfield, Loxley and Hillsborough', Vol 2 ISBN 0-7524-2471-8 Page 18
- Redfern, Rogerr: 'Portrait Of Bradfield Dale' ISBN 0 9547605 2 2 Page 40