Perrott's Folly

Perrott's Folly is an extraordinary thing -- a 94-foot sheer-sided tower built in the late eighteenth century. It stands in one of the poorest parts of Birmingham. A little way away from the folly stands a second tower -- actually part of the nearby waterworks and reservoir.

Perrott's Folly was built by a wealthy landowner, apparently for use as a hunting lodge -- a retreat for him and his friends. It is extraordinarily easy to imagine its decaying interior lit by flickering candles and each of its five circular rooms warmed by a small struggling wood fire.

It was recently open to the public, showing Sofia Hultén's art installation, DRAWN ONWARD.

Just a little way from Perrott's is Stirling Road where JRR Tolkein lived as a young boy. Perrott's Folly and the waterworks tower are said to be the inspiration for the second part of LORD OF THE RINGS -- "The Two Towers".