THE FOLLIES
Georgian Grandiosity With a Story
“To travel through Belvedere is to take a journey of surprise, delight and discovery. Every turn seems to reveal an unexpected something, and together the follies and the natural landscape create a spectacular visual journey of curiosity and beauty.”
Pure decoration and frivolity. A sense of ‘we can afford to build this just for the fun of it’ and a delight in fancy and entertainment. This is what follies are all about – as ornamental buildings with no real sense of purpose, simply to decorate. At Belvedere, our follies typically reflect Georgian grandiosity, while also standing as testament to original owner Earl Belvedere’s need to show-off his status and wealth.
What is a Folly?
A folly is an ornamental structure built to decorate and please. Some follies were designed to look like ‘sham ruins’ – as is the case with Belvedere’s Jealous Wall.
Others were built purely to adorn the landscape, and in Georgian times they were seen as ‘monuments’ to the triumph of civilisation over barbarity. Some Irish follies were also built to provide employment during the famine.
THE FOLLIES
The Jealous Wall
Unlike many follies, The Jealous Wall was built with a ‘purpose’ and is the largest of its kind in Ireland.
Others were built purely to adorn the landscape, and in Georgian times they were seen as ‘monuments’ to the triumph of civilisation over barbarity. Some Irish follies were also built to provide employment during the famine.
This ‘sham ruin’ was built in 1760 by the 1st Earl of Belvedere, Robert Rochfort, following an argument with his brother George who lived at nearby Tudenham House. It is believed Robert was jealous of George’s house, which was bigger than Belvedere, so he built the wall to block his view of Tudenham. Robert went to great expense to construct the wall to resemble an artificial ruined abbey, hiring the celebrated Italian Architect Barrodotte to work on the project.
The large gothic ruin is built in stone with a central wall, three pointed high windows and five smaller round-headed windows above them. The wall stands 20 metres high, with two square wings projecting at either end. When the estate was taken over by Westmeath County Council, extensive work was carried out to restore the wall and steel rods were inserted to support the structure internally.
The Octagonal Gazebo
Situated to the northwest of the House, Belvedere’s Octagonal Gazebo is easily accessed from the Woodland Walk and was built around 1765 by astronomer, mathematician and architect Thomas Wright.
Once roofed, it was built on a fortified terrace of brick and stone and was a viewing point for estate visitors. It gave commanding views over the lake and land and would have been frequented by the Earl and his guests, as well as by the estate’s later owners. They would have enjoyed a ‘day out’, away from the busy house, enjoying the lake and a picnic on a bright summer’s day. This would have been quite different from the picnics we know today, with staff laying out a table with delph and cutlery in the Gazebo. Many of the views of old can once more be enjoyed, following the clearance of some over-mature trees in recent years.
The Gothic Arch
A mighty, rectangular castellated stone structure, The Gothic Arch was built around 1760.
Comprising a three bay, two story tower it has been described as a strange mix of the grotesque, the Gothic and the fantastic. Like the other Belvedere folies, the Gothic Arch was designed by Thomas Wright as a ‘mock entrance’ to the estate and a focal point.
