Perrott's Folly
An 18th-century tower in Birmingham, possibly linked to Tolkien.
via Wikipedia: Perrott's Folly · see source
Perrott's Folly, also known as The Monument or The Observatory, is a 29-metre (96-foot) tall tower built in 1758. It is a Grade II listed building in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Quick Facts
- Height
- 29 metres (96 feet)
- Year built
- 1758
- Builder
- John Perrott
- Location
- Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Listing
- Grade II
Facts from the source article.
History
John Perrott, a resident of Belbroughton, erected the tower in what was then open Rotton Park in 1758. Various unverified tales attempt to explain its construction: perhaps he wished to oversee his property and host visitors, to scout for game while hunting, or to glimpse his wife's burial site fifteen miles away. Between 1884 and 1979, the structure functioned as a weather observatory for the Birmingham and Midland Institute. The University of Birmingham's Geography Department managed the station from 1966 until its relocation to the main campus. Some have speculated, without proof, that this tower and the Edgbaston Waterworks may have inspired tower imagery in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, who spent his childhood nearby.
Prospects
A company set up in 1984, the Perrott's Folly Company, aimed to restore the tower and open it to the public. It secured grants from English Heritage and Birmingham City Council for the work. By the summer of 2005, the company had partnered with Birmingham Conservation Trust to stabilise the structure, though money was still needed for repairs to important features. The tower briefly opened in April 2008 for an art show with the Ikon Gallery, and again in May 2008 for a weekend celebrating J. R. R. Tolkien. The Perrott's Folly Company formally closed in August 2009. Trident Housing Association managed the tower from 2005 to 2017, and it is now run by Re.Future Collective, a Birmingham arts and architecture group.
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