Today we visited Flounders’ Folly, an imposing stone tower, 16 foot
square, standing 80 feet above Callow Hill, near Craven Arms, South
Shropshire. The Folly is a landmark that is visible for miles around and
in particular from the A49 between Church Stretton and Craven Arms.
Built in 1838 by Benjamin Flounders (hence the name), it marks the point
at which three parishes and four major estates meet. Curiously,
Benjamin Flounders never had a house on the Culmington estate and
generally chose to stay at the Angel Inn in Broad Street, Ludlow on his
twice-yearly visits to Shropshire. The Folly fell into disrepair in the
20th century but was restored in 2004-5 by the Flounders’ Folly Trust.
It is now open to the public one day each month so people can climb to
the...