Folly

Today I accompanied Colin and his class to Wimpole Farm for a field trip. It was a big deal because they rented a "coach" (the children have been correcting parents who say "bus"). Most of the class trips are walking excursions.

Anyway, Wimpole Farm is part of a large estate which includes a manor house, a chapel, extensive gardens, lakes, and a farm. The farm is great for children and interesting to adults because it includes many rare breeds of sheep, cattle, pigs, goats, poultry, and horses. One particular sheep, the Soay, are thought to have been in Britain since the Bronze Age. The house dates to 1643, and although we did not see it today, is apparently a lovely architectural site which holds an extensive collection of historic furniture and art.

Since we don't have a car this year, and we rely on pedal power or public transportation for our days out, it was a rare opportunity for me to go on this trip and see a place I wouldn't visit otherwise. So I had my eyes peeled for anything of interest. In the distance I spied the ruins of a medieval tower. I would have loved to hike out there, but it wasn't possible with my posse of 5 year olds, so I did what we've been doing since the day we arrived here. I waited until I got home and I "Googled" it.

Turns out that the tower is a folly, a false building erected purely for decoration, this one apparently in 1768. I was flabbergasted. A little more surfing informed me that this was a popular practice especially in the 18th and 19th centuries. In fact, they seem to be not uncommon in Great Britain. An estate owner who wanted to add a little panache to his property might build a ruins or ornamental structure, and who would be the wiser. You learn something new every day.