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Brian Griffiths | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> The Folly, Pontypool - Wales tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

The Folly, Pontypool - Wales

The original Folly Tower was built by John Hanbury in 1765 on the supposed site of a watch tower reputedly established on that spot by the Romans.

On the 7th of July 1940, the Folly Tower was blown up by the Army, as the Ministry of Defence were worried it would be a useful landmark for bombers to target the local munitions factory at Glascoed.

After many years of campaigning, the Folly Tower was rebuilt and officially opened by HRH Prince Charles on the 2nd of July 1994.

No image is to copied or used without consent.
DSCF0004 MORNING FOLLY
DSCF0004 MORNING FOLLY		 DSCF0029 AUTUMN FOLLY
DSCF0029 AUTUMN FOLLY		 IMG_3049_MONO FOLLY
IMG_3049_MONO FOLLY		 IMG_2001 FOLLY BUSH
IMG_2001 FOLLY BUSH
IMG_2006 FOLLY HAWTHORN
IMG_2006 FOLLY HAWTHORN		 IMG_1999 FOLLY WALK
IMG_1999 FOLLY WALK		 DSCF0014 FOLLY PATH
DSCF0014 FOLLY PATH		 DSCF0001 SNOW FOLLY
DSCF0001 SNOW FOLLY
IMG_0033 SUNSET FOLLY
IMG_0033 SUNSET FOLLY		 IMG_2003 THE FOLLY
IMG_2003 THE FOLLY

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BP 26-Mar-2017 13:13
I was a pupil at Cwmfrwdoer primary school in the fifties and was very saddened
when visiting to see it had been knocked down, when my sister told me the stone
had been used to rebuild the folly suddenly all was well with the world.
don pugh 21-Oct-2013 12:38
I wish I could spell substantial.
Guest 13-Jan-2012 17:29
i have the original photograph that was taken in 1937 by my uncle. also i have a poem about the folly that was written by Myfanwy Haycock.
DON PUGH 29-May-2010 18:26
As a young lad I lived on Usk Road.The Folly Tower was a place we often visited
as a fun place to go.The tower was quite a sustantial construction even though it had Danger Notices inside,people lit bonfires inside on bonfire night.The Folly apparently took quite an effort to blow it down.Some time later during an air raid a German bomber dropped a row of bombs across the mountain one of which landed in the middle of the pile of rubble,I had a piece of shrapnel as a momentum for years,I thought it quite funny that it was bombed after it was blown up.

Don Pugh New Inn.
Parry 27-Jun-2008 14:17
Is Peter Hopkin a native of Cwmfelinfach? If so, would like to hear from him. I was brought up in Cwmfelin.
Nancy Fairfield 17-Aug-2007 16:07
Thank you for the history of the Folly. I was aware that it came down during the way, but had no idea it was "blown up"!

Whenever I travel to Wales (as often as possible!), I always walk to the Folly and beyond from where my friends live in New Inn. I'm grateful to have seen your photos during the winter - mine are spring, summer and winter only.

I often wonder if people in the UK are aware of how fortunate they are to live among all this history, to have scenery change dramatically by driving only 20 minutes or that they have public access to all these lands to be able to visit sites like the Folly.

Given the financial resources required to emigrate to the UK (£1M), the south of Wales would be my first choice!

Many thanks!

Nancy Fairfield
Ottawa, Canada
Peter Hopkin 01-Jul-2006 21:56
Any pictures of Cwmfelinfach or environs ???
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