Gloucestershire follies are some of the greatest architectural delights of the county. Some are famous landmarks, others an architectural ‘lucky dip’, ranging from entire buildings to ‘curiosities’.
There are grottoes, obelisks, temples, shell gardens, fake forts, arches, pavilions and even a sham chapel. Virtually all are completely useless, and always were – which explains a large part of their appeal. Some owe their existence to fashion, others to the eccentricity of those who built them. Even today they remain a fascinating way of discovering the rich history of our past.