Westerton Folly, Westerton (Westerton)

Westerton Folly, Westerton 2006

Westerton Folly from the south-east. May 2001

Plaque erected 1950.

Located in the middle of the village which sits on a prominent hill, the Tower is a circular medieval looking structure with a rusticated doorway and cross-shaped arrow loop typical of the gothick revival of the 18th century .

The tower was built as an observatory by Thomas Wright of the nearby village of Byers Green. He was a mathematician, astronomer (famous for his explanation of the Milky Way), architect (of Nuthall Temple Notts), and garden designer. Designs for the tower appear in a manuscript of 1744, but the observatory does not appear to have been completed until after Wright's death in 1786.

A plaque was erected on the building in 1950 by Durham University to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his publication "The Original Theory of the Universe".

This is a Listed Building protected by law.

Reference number:

D37725

Historical period:

Georgian (1714 to 1830)
Early 20th Century (1901 to 1932)
Mid 20th Century (1933 to 1966)
Cold War (1946 to 1991)
21st Century (2001 to 2100)

Legal status:

Listed Building
• National Heritage List for England Entry Number: 1196452

Event(s):

Limestone Landscapes Historic Environment Audit And Action Plan 2008 - 2009; Archaeo-Environment Ltd doi:10.5284/1019702

Disclaimer -

Please note that this information has been compiled from a number of different sources. Durham County Council and Northumberland County Council can accept no responsibility for any inaccuracy contained therein. If you wish to use/copy any of the images, please ensure that you read the Copyright information provided.

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