Comments for The Folly Flâneuse

Comment on The Arch, Paganhill, Stroud, Gloucestershire by Editor

Editor — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 12:30:40 +0000

In reply to David Lambert. Hello David and good to hear from you. I had assumed that it was the local Dodington, but couldn’t see the gates in any of the online images of lodges and entrances. As you say, it’s an unhappy coincidence that Dodington was built on the proceeds of the Slave Trade. I will try to establish if the gates survive. Many thanks.

Comment on The Arch, Paganhill, Stroud, Gloucestershire by David Lambert

David Lambert — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 11:23:44 +0000

Great article Madame Flaneuse! As for the gates, I think it must be Dodington House, Glos a few miles south of Stroud, owned by the Codrington family and built late C18-early C19 to designs by James Wyatt Wyatt. Ironically, with money from the family’s plantations in the Caribbean. Unless there is some link to Doddington Hall in Lincs., which seems less likely Dodington is referred to as Dodington Park by its current owner, James Dyson, but ‘House’ is used on the NHLE.

Comment on The Arch, Paganhill, Stroud, Gloucestershire by Editor

Editor — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:39:43 +0000

In reply to Nic Orchard. Good morning Nic. The Flâneuse must remain politically neutral and couldn’t possibly comment…………

Comment on The Arch, Paganhill, Stroud, Gloucestershire by Sally Paque

Sally Paque — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:24:48 +0000

In reply to Editor.

Comment on The Arch, Paganhill, Stroud, Gloucestershire by Nic Orchard

Nic Orchard — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 08:13:03 +0000

That was a close one! Without a drive and a house, gates seem superfluous, in my not terribly humble opinion, but it would be good to know, of course, because we like to know these things, don’t we?

Triumph over Trumph every time.

Comment on The Arch, Paganhill, Stroud, Gloucestershire by Editor

Editor — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 07:55:35 +0000

In reply to Gwyn Headley. Thank you Gwyn. The arch in Stroud is on a considerably smaller and more elegant scale than a certain proposed monument in Washington.

Comment on The Arch, Paganhill, Stroud, Gloucestershire by Gwyn Headley

Gwyn Headley — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 07:42:00 +0000

Fascinating — I knew nothing of this. How do I share the post with friends in America?

Comment on Dryden Tower, Bilston, Midlothian by Editor

Editor — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:22:38 +0000

In reply to David Trotter. Hello David. I’m so pleased you found the site, and thanks for the extra information about Trotter’s homes. Sadly I didn’t get to climb the tower, but to the best of my knowledge it belongs to the university, so you might try contacting the estates office to ask permission. Please report back if you get to admire the view.

Comment on Dryden Tower, Bilston, Midlothian by David Trotter

David Trotter — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:41:55 +0000

Hi, I was so pleased to have stumbled across your site!
My name is David Archie Trotter, named after my descendant Archibald Trotter.
This information below might be of interest? The Trotter’s owned both Dryden House and Bush House.
Bush House is a neat A-listed Classical mansion surrounded by parkland 2 miles (3 km) north northeast of Penicuik in Midlothian. The original house was built c.1750 on the site of an earlier farmhouse for Archibald Trotter who had acquired the estate through marriage in 1746. His son, Robert Trotter (1749 – 1807), commissioned Robert Adam (1728-92) and James Adam (1732-94) to draw up plans to extend and improve the house, which were used in-part for major work undertaken in 1795. This added a new dining room, drawing room, a semi-circular porch, main staircase, stable block and office wing. The porch is elegant and unusual; comprising four pairs of Doric columns with a balustrade surrounding a bow-front above.

The house was recast and further extended 1894-95 by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson (1834 – 1921), who modified the roof to permit additional space on the attic floor, added bedrooms and built a billiard room to the northwest. Fireplaces for the principal rooms and tiles for the hall were salvaged from another nearby Trotter property, Dryden House, which had become uninhabitable and was later demolished.
I would truly love to gain access to the tower to explore the view?
I wonder if the unusual semi-circular construction is in anyway related to the semi-circular porch that was added to Bush House in 1795?
Yours Aye
David Trotter

Comment on The Bell Tower, Kirkoswald, Cumbria by Editor

Editor — Sun, 31 May 2026 07:07:07 +0000

In reply to TOM GARDNER. Hello Tom. I agree, the chiming of bells is a lovely sound - as long as it is not a death knell.