Arch, architecture, eyecatcher, Folly, Observatory, sham church, Tower

Curiosities of Town and Countryside

In 1941 Batsford published a new title by Edmund Vale called Curiosities of Town and Countryside. With a striking cover by Brian Cook, featuring the triumphal arch at Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire, the jacket blurb promised the reader ‘freaks, eccentricities and follies.’

The Flâneuse recently ordered a copy online and whilst waiting for the postman to arrive began to do some background research. She was baffled to find the reviewer in the Hampstead News writing that amongst the buildings featured in the volume were ‘monstrosities like Lansdown Tower, Bath, and the Sugarloaf Folly, Sussex’. William Beckford and ‘Mad’ Jack Fuller may have built structures that weren’t to everyone’s taste, but ‘monstrosities’ seemed a little harsh.

Dallington Spire . Noted in the book as a ‘queer little hilltop needle’. The story is that Jack Fuller built it in haste in the 1820s when he realised he would lose his wager that he could see Dallington church spire from his drawing room. Photograph Alf Musto (1879-1955)

And then the book was delivered, and all became clear. As he states in the book’s preface, Mr Vale (1888-1969) excludes follies from his study of curiosities for the simple reason that he has ‘always cherished a profound and contemptuous dislike for these monstrosities’. His publisher, Harry Batsford, is adamant that follies should be included in the book, but Vale is resolute that he won’t write about them, and continues that follies are ‘interlopers’ as they are ‘decidely eccentric and not accidentally so’.

Beckford’s Lansdown Tower near Bath. A belvedere erected in the 1820s. The tower is pictured twice in the book, but only Beckford’s extravagant house at Fonthill is described in the text. Photograph Edwin Dockree (1860-1942).

‘However I must not rant’ Vale writes (rather too late in the Flâneuse’s opinion) and he introduces Mr Charles Bradley Ford who has come to the rescue by writing a final chapter on follies, and thus allowing Vale to maintain his moral high ground. However this is all a little tongue-in-cheek, for ‘Charles Bradley Ford’ was the pen-name of Harry Batsford and his colleague Christopher Fry: when the company was hit by the financial crisis of the early 1930s, it was cheaper to write the books themselves using a pseudonym.

The publishers also had the last word on illustrations, so many ‘monstrosities’ can be found pictured in the book, including those featured here, although to add to the confusion some of the photographs are of structures that are not even mentioned in the text. And of course the dust jacket features a famous landscape ornament.

Stratton’s Tower at Little Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, late 18C. Legend tells that the tower was built so an admiral could see his ships on the Thames – but this is topographically impossible. The folly is noted only in the caption to this photograph. Photograph Alf Musto (1879-1955)

‘Ford’ begins his chapter with the obligatory note on the difficulty of defining a folly. He continues that the subject of follies is an ‘amusing and engaging byway’, but with a nod to Vale he continues that to some they are ‘detestable and deplorable excrescences’. Ford believes that follies ‘add to the gaiety of the countryside’, although he draws the line at obelisks which are ‘dull and commonplace in spite of the efforts of lightening to reduce their number’.

The Tattingstone Wonder. A late 18C sham church in Suffolk. Although illustrated it is not mentioned in the book. Photograph ©F.A. Girling (1898-1966)

The Illustrated London News called the book ‘delectable’ and it is certainly a handsome volume. The argument for and against follies it contains is decidedly odd, but most entertaining: an excellent addition to any folly fan’s library.

The cover with illustration of the triumphal arch at Shugborough, which was modelled on the Arch of Hadrian in Athens. The artist Brian Cook (1910-1991) was himself a member of the Batsford family.

The Flâneuse first spotted the striking dust jacket in a new Batsford publication – The Book Cover by Paul Dimond. The book explores 150 years of the vibrant covers designed for Batsford publications.

All of the follies pictured here are extant, and all can be visited or seen from a public road.

Thank you for reading. There will be more monstrosities next week. Scroll down to the comments box if you would like to share any thoughts.

The Needle’s Eye, Wentworth Woodhouse. Subscribe and discover many other fascinating follies.

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