, native_name_lang = Welsh , former_names = , alternate_names = , status = Complete – demolished, but rebuilt , image = Folly - geograph.org.uk - 401755.jpg , image_alt = , image_size = , caption = The Folly Tower, Pontypool , map_type = , map_alt = , map_caption = , relief = , altitude = above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

, building_type = Folly , architectural_style = Stone tower with crenelated top , structural_system = , cost = , ren_cost = , client = John Hanbury , owner =

Torfaen County Borough Council Torfaen County Borough Council () is the governing body for Torfaen, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. History The borough council was created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as a lower-tier district council with borough status ...

, current_tenants = , landlord = , location =

Pontypool Park Pontypool Park ( cy, Parc Pont-y-pŵl) is a park in Pontypool, Torfaen, Wales. The park was formerly the grounds of Pontypool House and was laid out in the closing years of the 17th century for John Hanbury, an ironmaster, who is closely associ ...

Torfaen Torfaen (; cy, Torfaen ) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the city of Newport to the south, and the county boroughs of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent to the south ...

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

, address = , location_town =

Pontypool Pontypool ( cy, Pont-y-pŵl ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It has a population of 28,970. Location It is situated on the Afon Lwyd ri ...

, location_country =

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, coordinates = Grid ref: , groundbreaking_date = , start_date = , completion_date = 1765 to 1770 , opened_date = , inauguration_date = , demolition_date = 9 July 1940 , renovation_date = 1831 & 1994 , destruction_date = , height = , architectural = , tip = , antenna_spire = , roof = , top_floor = , observatory = , other_dimensions = , floor_count = , floor_area = , seating_type = , seating_capacity = , elevator_count = , architect = , architecture_firm = , structural_engineer = , services_engineer = , civil_engineer = , other_designers = , quantity_surveyor = , main_contractor = , awards = , designations = , ren_architect = , ren_firm = , ren_str_engineer = , ren_serv_engineer = , ren_civ_engineer = , ren_oth_designers = , ren_qty_surveyor = , ren_awards = , rooms = , parking = , url = , embedded = , references = , highest_region = , highest_reflabel = , highest_prev = , highest_start = , highest_end = , highest_next = The Folly Tower ( cy, Tŵr Ffoledd) is a folly located within the grounds of a working farm, close to

( Grid ref: ). It is a prominent local landmark above the A4042

Abergavenny Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of the River Gavenny") is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a ''Gateway to Wales''; it is approximately from the border wi ...

road and overlooks Pontypool to the west and rural

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

to the east. The Folly is octagonal in shape and roughly high and is approximately above

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 A shell grotto is a type of folly, a grotto decorated with sea shells. The shell grotto was a popular feature of many British country houses in the 17th and 18th centuries. It suited the Baroque and Rococo styles (which used swirling motifs sim ...

Early 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

. The local name of The Folly was in use as far back as 1865 when the ''Free Press of Monmouthshire'' described it as:

"...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'."

It is thought 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 provided a vantage point over the local area and quickly became popular and a well known feature of the area. In May 1935 an estimated 15 to 20,000 people gathered at the Folly Tower to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...

with the lighting of a

bonfire A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used either for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Etymology The earliest recorded uses of the word date back to the late 15th century, with the Catho ...

. However, the folly, being open to the elements, began to fall into a state of disrepair during the late 1930s. Pontypool Park Estate Office attached notices to the structure informing visitors of the potential dangers of falling masonry. Its draw on the locals though remained unstinted and local poet and illustrator

Myfanwy Haycock Myfanwy Haycock (1913–1963) was a Welsh poet, illustrator, BBC broadcaster, and journalist. She was born Blodwen Myfanwy Haycock in Pontnewynydd, Wales, near Pontypool, in the traditional county of Monmouthshire, . Early life and educa ...

penned the following verse in 1937:

Demolition

On 9 July 1940 the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

ordered that, as a security measure under the

Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 The Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 was emergency legislation passed just prior to the outbreak of World War II by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to enable the British Government to take up emergency powers to prosecute the war effective ...

, the Folly be

demolished Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...

. This was in the belief that its presence would be a

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

for the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

seeking to raid the nearby Royal Ordnance Factory at

ROF Glascoed ROF Glascoed (today BAE Systems Munitions Glascoed) was initially a UK government-owned, Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF). It was designed as one of 20 munitions filling factories. It was planned as a ''permanent'' ROF with the intention that, unli ...

to the east beyond

Little Mill, Monmouthshire Little Mill ( cy, Y Felin Fach) is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, United Kingdom, in the community and ward of Goetre Fawr. It has a population of about 600. Location Little Mill is located three miles north east of Pontypool, ...

Initial rebuilding schemes

In 1946, Pontypool Chamber of Trade led the first campaign to rebuild the local landmark but the project stalled quickly. Another attempt in 1948 campaigns started to collect public donations to rebuild the Folly Tower. However, an attempt to get local council funding was thwarted during a local council meeting in July of that year, the council's priority at the time being post-war house building programmes in the local area.

Rebuilding

At the beginning of 1990, a number of local historians and conservationists decided it was time to restore the Folly Tower to its former glory and a committee, was set up to canvas various funding bodies as well as open negotiations with the National Park Authority. The creation of the ''Campaign for the Reconstruction of the Folly Tower (CROFT)'' then achieved sufficient backing so that the required £60,000 was raised to rebuild the Folly Tower. Contributions were made by The Prince of Wales' Committee and European Regional Development Fund. In April 1990 the original

foundations Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

of the tower were unearthed and the original dimensions of the tower were obtained.

Planning permission Planning permission or developmental approval refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. It is usually given in the form of a building perm ...

for the reconstruction was given by

Brecon Beacons National Park The Brecon Beacons National Park ( cy, Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog) is one of three national parks in Wales, and is centred on the Brecon Beacons range of hills in southern Wales. It includes the Black Mountain (range), Black Mountain ...

authorities in October of the same year. In May 1991, 175 tonnes of dressed stone from the recently demolished Cwmffrwdoer Primary School was donated to the campaign by Torfaen Borough Council. Rebuilding work commenced on the tower during November 1992 by local building company, Davies and Jenkins. Building work ceased during the winter and resumed in the spring of 1993. The tower stood at approximately 20 ft (6 m) by September 1993 before work ceased again for the oncoming winter. Work restarted in the spring of 1994 and by July work on both the interior and exterior was complete. The tower was officially reopened by the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

on 22 July 1994. A plaque on the side of the tower commemorates the opening and reads:

"Folly Tower, Rebuilt 1994. This scheme has been financed by the European Regional Development Fund, Torfaen Borough, Croft Pontypool, Gwent County Council, The Prince of Wales' Committee"

Visitor information

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.

References

* CROFT, Pontypool, ''Tower of Strength On a Hill of Dreams - The Campaign to Rebuild the Old Folly Tower, Pontypool. Official Souvenir Brochure'', Griffin Press, 1994. Author, Arthur Crane.

External links

Torfaen Borough Council information

Photos of the Folly Tower
* shows it as ''The Folly'' or ''Tŵr Watch'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Folly Tower, Pontypool Folly buildings in Wales Towers in Wales Folly towers in the United Kingdom Tourist attractions in Torfaen Buildings and structures in Torfaen Rebuilt buildings and structures in Wales Pontypool Towers completed in the 1760s