Memories of the Folly Tower and Woodland
In June 2018 Faringdon Dramatic Society performed a wonderful celebration of Faringdon- 800 years since the Market Charter and 70 years since the Dramatic society was formed.
Here are some of the memories of the Folly Tower and Woodland which formed part of the performance.
More memories are very welcome- just email [email protected]
Here are some of the memories of the Folly Tower and Woodland which formed part of the performance.
More memories are very welcome- just email [email protected]
Robert Heber Percy, handed the Folly over to Faringdon in the early 1980's when it was at its crumbling nadir - unsafe to enter and scarred by vandalism and graffiti.
Chris France, having taken on the role of estate manager for Sofka Zinovieff, Heber Percy's granddaughter) when she first inherited Faringdon house, organised for the Folly to be re-opened to the public. The first group of volunteers was formed headed up by Chris and over the years the Folly has been returned to its former glory, continuing to be run by volunteers.
Jane Rennells owner of Stay Grounded
As I sit on Folly Hill under the Stay Grounded gazebo listening to the rain splish sploshing I marvel at the number of families, dog walkers and Faringdon visitors enjoying the Woodland despite the weather and think about my own use of the Tower and Woodland over the 29 years I’ve lived in Faringdon:
As a Friend of the Folly I’ve painted the Belvedere Room Pink
As a bride I had my wedding reception in the tower
As a mother I’ve walked and played with my daughters;
As a police officer I’ve talked to people who’d gone there to escape it all, endeavoured to catch the elusive Folly Flasher (we never did) and chastised youths hell-bent on wrecking the hard work of others
As a dog owner I’ve walked my dogs 365 days a year in sun, rain, hail, snow and wind in the dark, with family, with friends or alone with my dogs and my thoughts (2007 - present)
And now I serve drinks and cakes from my beautiful Vintage 2CV van. This is my 3rd year and each year gets busier and busier. Every day I’m there I think of all the grim places I’ve worked and have a quiet smile to myself that this joyful woodland is also my work place. Families picnicking, lovers drinking wine and cuddling on rugs, dog walkers bumping into other dog walkers and extending their walks, Pokemon hunters tripping over stumps as their stare at their phones, painted rock seekers and runners doing interval training or just gentle jogs. Hours and hours of enjoyment every day of the week and every week of the year. We are so very lucky to have this in our doorstep.
Peter Webster Faringdon Resident
I’m one of the volunteers at the Folly Tower, turning out three or four times a year on open days. Usually I’m downstairs (the cold bit) greeting visitors, taking their money and doing my best to answer the many questions we get. It’s a very enjoyable thing to do; on a sunny day it can be really busy and you get to meet some very nice people, not just from the local area, but from all over the UK and many parts of the world. Visiting the Folly is obviously something you have to do when in the Cotswolds. All I have to remember is not to drink anything much before I go ‘on duty’, as it will be two hours at least before I can get to a loo.
However, the part of the role which gives me the greatest pleasure is welcoming the number of small children (with their parents of course), some as young as three or four, who are happy to have a go at climbing to the top of the tower on the promise of a Folly Tower sticker, which shows that they’ve made it to the top. The sheer joy on their faces when they’ve done it is priceless!
Sjoerd Vogt Town Crier
Giant Banner Towers over the Vale
On Friday July 1st 2005, Faringdon made a spectacular statement in support of the Global MakePovertyHistory Campaign. Wrapped around the top of the Folly Tower, and visible for miles around, was the biggest MakePovertyHistory “Wrist Band” in the UK.
As the first event of the Faringdon Arts Festival, and just days before the start of the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, the people of Faringdon came together in the biggest and most spectacular event of its kind that the town had ever seen.
More than 500 people dressed in white gathered in Faringdon’s market place. The event began with a minute’s silence – recognising that the poor of the world have no voice of their own and rely on us to shout out against injustice on their behalf. The church bells then rang out, and amidst a cacophony of noise the White Band Procession left Faringdon Market Place, heading up to Folly Hill half a mile away. At the centre of the procession was a 22 metre long MakePovertyHistory Banner, held aloft by nine pole bearers and flanked by jugglers, stilt-walkers, belly dancers, acrobats, dramatists and drummers.
On reaching the top of Folly Hill, the procession then encircled the summit of the hill with a human band of people. The chain included Ed Vaisey (the local MP) and Malcolm Harper (Director of the United Nations Association in the UK for 22 years). All then gathered around the base of the Folly Tower itself, a 100ft edifice standing proudly at the very top of the hill; and a well-known landmark visible for miles around. He giant band, emblazoned with the words “MAKE-POVERTY-HISTORY” was then hoisted dramatically aloft, assisted by cheering, chanting and dancing from the crowds below.
That’s the official version. Of course, things are often more challenging than they first appear. On paper it seemed so simple – until we did the measurements.
It turns out it’s more than 400 meters round the Folly perimeter path so we calculated we would need at least 500 people. That’s a lot of people. The Folly Tower is also 5 meters square at its base, which meant the banner had to be at least 22 meters long to have clearance when raised. It also had to be strong, so was made from sail canvas – which is heavy, and It was too big to fit in any halls for assembly so ended up being made in sections. We also discovered that the bricks in the Folly Tower are purpose built to snag anything that touches.it.
Luckily, the Chief Engineer responsible for design and hoisting happened to be a nuclear physicist so after several practice runs, a working method was developed.,
But no one needed to know about these minor mishaps. For most of us, the day that the MakePovertyHistory message towered over the Vale will be one to remember.
Val Hughes Faringdon resident
It was fitting that on a cold wintry night whilst travelling back on the A361 above Burford I first became aware of the power of the Faringdon Millennium Beacon to reach out to others. Shining out its potent light it was a warm and pleasant sight guiding home those residents who travelled away. Perhaps as it was almost Christmas invoking that first Millennium when the star guided Mary and Joseph – “Behold we send out a light to guide you home”.
Millennium 2000 saw the erection of the Beacon on top of Faringdon’s Folly Tower as a celebration of the auspicious event. From December to March the tower was adorned with a powerful rotating light that shone out across the county and well beyond. In fact I saw it many times from places in Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. The thrill which seeped through me from seeing it in the evening sky never failed to lift my spirits.
It was soon quite famous, becoming known as the ‘Faringdon Lighthouse’, the only lighthouse to be sited nowhere near the sea. Perhaps Lord Berners would have approved at it being useless, like his Tower on which it stood.
Locals mused over its relevance and importance. Was it related to Christmas? How was it relevant to the Millennium? Was it a joke?
There were those who thought it fantastic, “It puts Faringdon on the map”, “Everyone knows where Faringdon is,” and of course the dissenters, “Too bright”, “Too costly”, “Why?”
To Faringdonians, the lighthouse has today become a thing of folklore.
It remains a lost symbol of our community, a landmark for a town once seen not forgotten. Perhaps one day it will return to guide those unsure, or lost and all at sea, to come back to Faringdon, our beautiful market town
Tom Sutton aged 12
One of my favourite places in Faringdon is the Folly because it has always been with me in my life and always will be. When we go to walk the dog at the folly we are free from our worries. We climb trees, play hide and seek and mum stops off at Stay Grounded for a coffee and a chat.
On the outskirts of the woods on the Folly is one of our favourite places to go, there is a fallen down tree which is perfect for climbing and whenever we go to the folly we almost always end up climbing it, perhaps pretending it is Headquarters for secret agents, ninjas or warriors, but always enjoying ourselves.
On the occasion that the tower itself is open, we always try get up to the top as fast as we can and we gaze at the view from the top, you can even see Didcot in the distance. I would look down over Faringdon where people would be playing in their gardens or walking their dogs in Tuckers park.
This year when the snow was fresh we decided to make a snowman, and we had a snowball fight with mum and our friends.
Once, the piano shop put painted pianos all across Faringdon, but by far the most beautifully presented was the piano on the Folly. It was painted to look like the Folly, when all the poppies had blossomed and you could also see some pink pigeons flying around.
The next day when I got home from school, mum said she had a surprise, and I walked inside. When I got to the living room I saw the piano from the Folly sitting there and mum said we can keep it and we still have it now.
Recently while my mum was going for a walk at the folly, she found a penknife sticking out of the ground.
I opened up the blade that said ‘Cutlers to his majesty the King’ which meant the latest it could be was 1952. On the hilt, it said ‘Reckitt and sons LTD’. I searched up ‘Reckitt and sons penknife’ and sure enough it was there. I then searched Reckitt and sons penknife 1900/1910/1920/1930/1940/1950’ to find out when they were made, and I saw that the penknives were made in 1930s. So my mum had found a penknife that was 77-87 years old. Interestingly, this was the same time that the folly was being built.
These are my memories of the Folly and I hope everyone else has their own memories on it.
Chris France, having taken on the role of estate manager for Sofka Zinovieff, Heber Percy's granddaughter) when she first inherited Faringdon house, organised for the Folly to be re-opened to the public. The first group of volunteers was formed headed up by Chris and over the years the Folly has been returned to its former glory, continuing to be run by volunteers.
Jane Rennells owner of Stay Grounded
As I sit on Folly Hill under the Stay Grounded gazebo listening to the rain splish sploshing I marvel at the number of families, dog walkers and Faringdon visitors enjoying the Woodland despite the weather and think about my own use of the Tower and Woodland over the 29 years I’ve lived in Faringdon:
As a Friend of the Folly I’ve painted the Belvedere Room Pink
As a bride I had my wedding reception in the tower
As a mother I’ve walked and played with my daughters;
As a police officer I’ve talked to people who’d gone there to escape it all, endeavoured to catch the elusive Folly Flasher (we never did) and chastised youths hell-bent on wrecking the hard work of others
As a dog owner I’ve walked my dogs 365 days a year in sun, rain, hail, snow and wind in the dark, with family, with friends or alone with my dogs and my thoughts (2007 - present)
And now I serve drinks and cakes from my beautiful Vintage 2CV van. This is my 3rd year and each year gets busier and busier. Every day I’m there I think of all the grim places I’ve worked and have a quiet smile to myself that this joyful woodland is also my work place. Families picnicking, lovers drinking wine and cuddling on rugs, dog walkers bumping into other dog walkers and extending their walks, Pokemon hunters tripping over stumps as their stare at their phones, painted rock seekers and runners doing interval training or just gentle jogs. Hours and hours of enjoyment every day of the week and every week of the year. We are so very lucky to have this in our doorstep.
Peter Webster Faringdon Resident
I’m one of the volunteers at the Folly Tower, turning out three or four times a year on open days. Usually I’m downstairs (the cold bit) greeting visitors, taking their money and doing my best to answer the many questions we get. It’s a very enjoyable thing to do; on a sunny day it can be really busy and you get to meet some very nice people, not just from the local area, but from all over the UK and many parts of the world. Visiting the Folly is obviously something you have to do when in the Cotswolds. All I have to remember is not to drink anything much before I go ‘on duty’, as it will be two hours at least before I can get to a loo.
However, the part of the role which gives me the greatest pleasure is welcoming the number of small children (with their parents of course), some as young as three or four, who are happy to have a go at climbing to the top of the tower on the promise of a Folly Tower sticker, which shows that they’ve made it to the top. The sheer joy on their faces when they’ve done it is priceless!
Sjoerd Vogt Town Crier
Giant Banner Towers over the Vale
On Friday July 1st 2005, Faringdon made a spectacular statement in support of the Global MakePovertyHistory Campaign. Wrapped around the top of the Folly Tower, and visible for miles around, was the biggest MakePovertyHistory “Wrist Band” in the UK.
As the first event of the Faringdon Arts Festival, and just days before the start of the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, the people of Faringdon came together in the biggest and most spectacular event of its kind that the town had ever seen.
More than 500 people dressed in white gathered in Faringdon’s market place. The event began with a minute’s silence – recognising that the poor of the world have no voice of their own and rely on us to shout out against injustice on their behalf. The church bells then rang out, and amidst a cacophony of noise the White Band Procession left Faringdon Market Place, heading up to Folly Hill half a mile away. At the centre of the procession was a 22 metre long MakePovertyHistory Banner, held aloft by nine pole bearers and flanked by jugglers, stilt-walkers, belly dancers, acrobats, dramatists and drummers.
On reaching the top of Folly Hill, the procession then encircled the summit of the hill with a human band of people. The chain included Ed Vaisey (the local MP) and Malcolm Harper (Director of the United Nations Association in the UK for 22 years). All then gathered around the base of the Folly Tower itself, a 100ft edifice standing proudly at the very top of the hill; and a well-known landmark visible for miles around. He giant band, emblazoned with the words “MAKE-POVERTY-HISTORY” was then hoisted dramatically aloft, assisted by cheering, chanting and dancing from the crowds below.
That’s the official version. Of course, things are often more challenging than they first appear. On paper it seemed so simple – until we did the measurements.
It turns out it’s more than 400 meters round the Folly perimeter path so we calculated we would need at least 500 people. That’s a lot of people. The Folly Tower is also 5 meters square at its base, which meant the banner had to be at least 22 meters long to have clearance when raised. It also had to be strong, so was made from sail canvas – which is heavy, and It was too big to fit in any halls for assembly so ended up being made in sections. We also discovered that the bricks in the Folly Tower are purpose built to snag anything that touches.it.
Luckily, the Chief Engineer responsible for design and hoisting happened to be a nuclear physicist so after several practice runs, a working method was developed.,
But no one needed to know about these minor mishaps. For most of us, the day that the MakePovertyHistory message towered over the Vale will be one to remember.
Val Hughes Faringdon resident
It was fitting that on a cold wintry night whilst travelling back on the A361 above Burford I first became aware of the power of the Faringdon Millennium Beacon to reach out to others. Shining out its potent light it was a warm and pleasant sight guiding home those residents who travelled away. Perhaps as it was almost Christmas invoking that first Millennium when the star guided Mary and Joseph – “Behold we send out a light to guide you home”.
Millennium 2000 saw the erection of the Beacon on top of Faringdon’s Folly Tower as a celebration of the auspicious event. From December to March the tower was adorned with a powerful rotating light that shone out across the county and well beyond. In fact I saw it many times from places in Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. The thrill which seeped through me from seeing it in the evening sky never failed to lift my spirits.
It was soon quite famous, becoming known as the ‘Faringdon Lighthouse’, the only lighthouse to be sited nowhere near the sea. Perhaps Lord Berners would have approved at it being useless, like his Tower on which it stood.
Locals mused over its relevance and importance. Was it related to Christmas? How was it relevant to the Millennium? Was it a joke?
There were those who thought it fantastic, “It puts Faringdon on the map”, “Everyone knows where Faringdon is,” and of course the dissenters, “Too bright”, “Too costly”, “Why?”
To Faringdonians, the lighthouse has today become a thing of folklore.
It remains a lost symbol of our community, a landmark for a town once seen not forgotten. Perhaps one day it will return to guide those unsure, or lost and all at sea, to come back to Faringdon, our beautiful market town
Tom Sutton aged 12
One of my favourite places in Faringdon is the Folly because it has always been with me in my life and always will be. When we go to walk the dog at the folly we are free from our worries. We climb trees, play hide and seek and mum stops off at Stay Grounded for a coffee and a chat.
On the outskirts of the woods on the Folly is one of our favourite places to go, there is a fallen down tree which is perfect for climbing and whenever we go to the folly we almost always end up climbing it, perhaps pretending it is Headquarters for secret agents, ninjas or warriors, but always enjoying ourselves.
On the occasion that the tower itself is open, we always try get up to the top as fast as we can and we gaze at the view from the top, you can even see Didcot in the distance. I would look down over Faringdon where people would be playing in their gardens or walking their dogs in Tuckers park.
This year when the snow was fresh we decided to make a snowman, and we had a snowball fight with mum and our friends.
Once, the piano shop put painted pianos all across Faringdon, but by far the most beautifully presented was the piano on the Folly. It was painted to look like the Folly, when all the poppies had blossomed and you could also see some pink pigeons flying around.
The next day when I got home from school, mum said she had a surprise, and I walked inside. When I got to the living room I saw the piano from the Folly sitting there and mum said we can keep it and we still have it now.
Recently while my mum was going for a walk at the folly, she found a penknife sticking out of the ground.
I opened up the blade that said ‘Cutlers to his majesty the King’ which meant the latest it could be was 1952. On the hilt, it said ‘Reckitt and sons LTD’. I searched up ‘Reckitt and sons penknife’ and sure enough it was there. I then searched Reckitt and sons penknife 1900/1910/1920/1930/1940/1950’ to find out when they were made, and I saw that the penknives were made in 1930s. So my mum had found a penknife that was 77-87 years old. Interestingly, this was the same time that the folly was being built.
These are my memories of the Folly and I hope everyone else has their own memories on it.
