Sharp's Folly
Folly In Rothbury, Northumberland
Sharp's Folly is an 18th century tower in Rothbury, and is the oldest folly in Northumberland.
The building of Sharp's Folly began in 1720 and was completed by 1754. The observatory was built by Reverend Dr Thomas Sharp, Rector of Rothbury who had a keen interest in astronomy. He also built the folly to help provide work for unemployed people in the area, and it became known as 'the doctor's folly'.
Thomas Sharp's son, Granville Sharp, was another interesting character, who was one of the first British campaigners for the abolition of the slave trade.
The tower is now unfortunately on the Heritage at Risk Register, however, is still an impressive folly.
The folly is located on a caravan site which is quite overgrown. There a few styles to get into the field, but it does say it's for the caravan club only.
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How To Find Sharp's Folly
Where To Park For Sharp's Folly ?
Lat / Long
55.30775, 55.30775
What three words
Parking is available at Haugh car park NE65 7RX.
Contributed by Sandra Clemens
I love the great outdoors and have been a National Trust & English Heritage member for years. I also love going off the beaten track and finding places like Sharp's Folly or Rothley Castle which are hidden gems in Northumberland. My favourite recent hike was climbing Red Screes in the Lake District on a whim, not fully grasping how high 776m was. It was still an achievement to conquer a Wainwright walk and I hope to do more one day.
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More Follies
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Thomas Wright Observatory
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Join Our Facebook GroupSharp's Folly was listed in Folly // Northumberland // Rothbury