Faringdon
Folly
View from the Folly
Tower
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Faringdon
Folly |
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How much you see will depend on the clarity of the light and the angle of the sun; these factors can vary from hour to hour. During the early part of the 19th Century, before the tower was built, it was claimed that no fewer than 30 parish churches could be seen from the hilltop. When one considers the contours of the landscape and the number of trees, it is difficult to see how such a claim could have bee substantiated. To follow these notes start by facing the flagpole and then work around in a clockwise direction. You will find the North point marked by the letter N cut out in the embrasure WEST From beside the flagpole you can see the town of Faringdon below. Look for the square tower of All Saints Church, and then Faringdon House among the trees to the right with the lake beyond. To the left of the town, over the hill, look for the massive roof of the Great Barn at Great Coxwell and 12 miles away, the Murray John Tower block above the Brunel Centre in Swindon. This side of Swindon, the high coloured buildings are the units on the Honda site at South Marston. Looking over the centre of Faringdon you will see Badbury Hill; beyond Badbury to the right, a distant view past Lushill over the North Wiltshire plain and Malmesbury towards the Cotswold hills above Dursely. To the right, the tower of Hannington Church and then the hangars of RAF Fairford (10 miles) where the first Concorde was tested. To the right again, the spire of Lechlade church (6 miles) while on the horizon, 22 miles away, the high standing beech woods are at Compton Abdale, near Andoversford. Below you are the buildings of Church Path Farm. NORTH Immediately below is Grove wood, extending to nearly 100 acres; a small square appears to have been cut out of the far left hand corner of the wood- this marks the site of the long lost monastic farm called Wyke where the Abbot of Beaulieu entertained King Henry III and is court. Beyond Grove wood the village of Clanfield and Lechlade the square topped tower of Langford Church and the spire of Broadwell church. On the skyline, a wood with a hump at the left hand end is 2 mile North of Burford, just off the road to Stow on the Wold. To the left, and further away, the former hangars of RAF Little Rissington. In general terms the whole of the far skyline is the line of the A40 road from Oxford to Cheltenham. To the right, and below you, Haremoor Farm and the A420 Oxford Road along the Golden Ridge. In the middle distance, the spire of Bampton church and some of the outlying housing estates of Witney (10 miles). In the very far distance, over the sheds of Haremoor Farm, the tall white chimney of the cement works at Bletchingdon can be seen on a clear day. This is known to RAF crews as 'Smoke Joe' Then you see Cumnor Hill (13 miles) this side of the city of Oxford. EAST Immediately below, just over the A420, is the stone built house of Stanford Place. This was the home of Admiral Clifton Brown, a leading opponent to Lord Berners when he was planning the building of the tower. To the left, and often hidden by the trees, the ancient manor house of Wadley where Queen Elizabeth I stayed when en route for Bristol. Between Stanford Place and Wadley Manor, archeologists have discovered the site of a Roman market town covering 24 acres with evidence of even earlier occupation. There used to be a tree-lined road running over Folly Hill from Faringdon to Wadley Manor. Sometimes, in the middle distance, you can see the village of Charney Bassett, the former church at Hatford and the church tower of Stanford in the Vale. To the left of the cooling towers of Didcot power station are the twin tree capped hills of the Wittenham Clumps, or Sinodun Hills, just this side of Dorchester while behind them are the Chiltern Hills (28-30miles); the Folly tower can be seen from the M40 where it cuts through the hillside. On the South side of the A417 Wantage road, the spire of Shellingford church appears above the trees, with the Berkshire Downs behind and the radio tower on Sparsholt Downs (9 miles). SOUTH The highest point on the Dons is the ancient hill fort of Uffington Castle with the Manger below it. Just to the left of the highest point the White Horse can just be seen as a squiggle on the ground (the angle of the sun makes this easier to see in the afternoon, but difficult in the morning) Below, and slightly to the left, the hexagonal tower of Uffington church. This village was the home of Thomas Hughes, the author of 'Tom Brown's schooldays' Moving to the right again, you look over the new housing estates near the cricket ground, and the blue coloured 'box' that is the Leisure Centre at Faring don School, toward the Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham and the Wiltshire Downs at Liddington Castle (13 miles). To the right, at Barbury Castle, are the former hangars of RAF Wroughton, now a science Museum. You have now completed the circle and are looking towards ~Swindon again. Written by Chris France, chairman of Faringdon Folly from 1983 to 1990s
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