Jenny’s Lantern Folly
Folly Alnwick Northumberland

Jenny’s Lantern Folly

Folly In Alnwick, Northumberland

A ruin of a folly shaped like a shepherd's hut on the Alnwick moors.

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Just on the outskirts of Alnwick on the open moorland are the ruins of Jenny's Lantern Folly.

The moorland area itself is called Jenny's Lantern (or Jenny of the Lantern) and is the reputed Northumbrian name for Will-o'-the-wisp, a form of atmospheric ghost lights associated with leading travellers to dangerous places. (Source - Wikipedia)

When we visited in May 2022, the folly was all but collapsed with just a single wall standing. The result of Storm Arwen on 27th November 2021. Hopefully one of our Fabulous North friends will have a photograph before the storm hit.

Originally the folly was in the shape of a shepherd's hut, built by the Bolton estate in the 18th-century.

Back in the day, follies were all the rage and was a sign of fortune and prestige and the 1st Duke of Northumberland, Hugh Percy, was a big fan. He also commissioned the Brizlee Tower in Hulne Park which sits a few miles away from Jenny's Lantern Folly over the Aln and also the spectacular Ratcheugh Observatory.

If you squint your eyes you can just make out the RRH Brizlee Wood Radome Golf Ball on the nearby hill.

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How To Find Jenny’s Lantern Folly

Where Is Jenny’s Lantern Folly?

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Lat / Long

55.43153, -1.8125

What three words

starfish.wiggly.motel

Where To Park For Jenny’s Lantern Folly?

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Lat / Long

55.434603, -1.803093

What three words

permit.support.shred

Parking is a little tricky and we managed to find a little grass verge next to the gate to park. Suggest parking further afield and visiting this as part of a longer walk.

Contributed by Simon Hawkins

Thanks for checking out this place on the Fabulous North! I do enjoy a wander out in to the countryside trying to find hidden gems that not many people know about. You can't beat a rogue pele tower up a remote hill, a mysterious stone circle or a stunning waterfall secluded in a forest.

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Simon Hawkins

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Jenny’s Lantern Folly was listed in Folly // Northumberland // Alnwick