Favourite Follies

Ivy Folly

Ivy Folly in Milland, West Sussex is my favourite folly of all. It was built by the famous painter and cartoonist Gerald Scarfe as a personal project following his presentation of a BBC documentary "Scarfe's Follies" in the late 80s. The quirkiness and eccentricities of folly building appealed to Scarfe and eventually Ivy folly was born. It was originally built as a round tower but there was obviously a camel desperate to get out of Scarfe's imagination and into the world.

With the addition of trellis and the "hump" it is one of the most charming and inspired follies of modern times. I love it to bits!

Hiorne Tower

West Sussex boasts another older interesting folly, the triangular shaped Hiorne Tower in Arundel Park, Arundel. It was built in 1787 by the architect Francis Hiorne. He was anxious to get the contract from the 11th Duke - Charles Howard, to rebuild the neighbouring castle and agreed to build the folly as a 'test' structure. Sadly Hiorne died shortly after it was completed. Still he would be happy to know that his name has lived on through the folly, which in itself is unusual as most follies are named after the families or landowners who commissioned them.

The spirit of a young girl haunts the tower. She is reputed to have thrown herself from the top in desperation after a failed love affair. She has looked after it well as it is in remarkably good condition for it's age. Even the leaded windows are still intact.

It's a steep climb up the hill to get to it but it is worth it, plus there is also the chance of seeing racehorses from a nearby stable exercising on the track which runs alongside the tower.

The Madonna Pond in Binsted Woods

Madonna Pond in Binsted Woods

I was talking with a friend recently about my mission to photograph Sussex history when the subject of the Madonna Pond came up. I'd never heard of it but after getting directions from Peter I set off with a friend on a mission to find it. As you can see above we were successful.

I immediately wanted to find out more about the area and it's history. Once again my friend Peter was able to shed more light on the story through a book written by Cressida Connolly called The Rare and the Beautiful. It documents the lives of three beautiful and wild sisters (Mary, Kathleen and Lorna) from the wealthy, socialite Garman family. They were born in the early twentieth century and inspired and seduced some of the greatest artists and writers of their time. Lorna was the youngest and most beautiful of the sisters and at 16 she married the wealthy landowner and publisher Ernest Wishart who lived at Binsted in Sussex.

Madonna Shrine

Through her seemingly long and happy marriage she had many affairs to which her husband turned a blind eye. In particular she had intense love affairs with the writer Laurie Lee and the painter Lucian Freud. When Lee went off to fight in the Spanish Civil war Lorna would send him money in the form of pound notes which had been steeped in Chanel No 5, her favourite perfume. Freud used her as his model for his paintings "Woman with a Tulip" and "Woman with a Daffodil".

Her affair with Laurie Lee was serious enough to cause Lee to leave London and move into a caravan conveniently near her at the Madonna Pond. When Lee died in 1997 he was still wearing her signet ring.

Lorna loved to wear beautiful and unusual clothes and go skinny dipping in the surrounding lakes and rivers. She thought nothing of driving through the night in her chocolate brown Bentley from Binsted up to London just to go clubbing. At night while all around her were asleep she would frequently ride her horse through the woods or up through the streets of Arundel. Also at night in her later years she would go into the woods alone and decorate a tree for Christmas so she could surprise her grandchildren. She also turned the Madonna Pond into an enchanted glade and put up lanterns and beads all around it. Lorna died in 2000 at the age of 89.

Binsted Woods

This area of Binsted Woods has also attracted the attention of paranormal investigators as there have been many reports of ghosts; horses act nervously and dogs growl whilst passing through this area. I would like to think that Lorna is still around and living the afterlife to the full just as she did during every one of her 89 years.

Stopham's Ancient and Beautiful Bridge

Stopham bridge spans the River Arun two miles west of Pulborough, West Sussex. It was built by a parson of Pulborough in Tudor times, "Out of love of God and in pity for straining horses and tired men", and as a replacement for an even older 14th century wooden bridge which in it's turn was built to replace a ford. The 246 foot long bridge is one of the few ancient bridges left in Sussex. There are six arches with 11ft 9in spans and a central arch with a 12ft 9in span. The central arch was raised 5 feet in 1822 to allow access for the increased number of loaded hay barges going through to the Wey Arun Junction Canal which had opened 6 years earlier.

Built of local stone it's a beautiful and locally well loved structure and also has the added advantage of having a very lovely pub (The White Hart) at one end of it!

Short, Short Stories

Even storytelling is feeling the effects of the current recession. Prior to the Credit Crunch my short stories below were once epic novels!

A PIGMENT OF THE IMAGINATION

I decided to get the detonators in. That nice Florence Give-a-Dog-a-Bone from Changing Tunes was raring to go.

“Get rid of my mahonia walls, I want loads of colour,” I destructed him. “And while you’re at it can you do my garden as well?” I addled.

Well he really extinguished himself, he painted the walls with bread and did the ceiling Aunt Arctic white, In the garden, he got rid of the poison ivory and planted pink concubines and pompous grass.

I’ve got loads of equanimity now, so I’m selling it to a civil serpent from Penge.

Clear Your Clutter!

The article entitled “Clearing your Clutter” started with “Only have that which is useful or beautiful in your house”. Kelly put down her magazine and looked at her husband slumped snoring in front of the TV.

“Time for a trip to the dump darling” she whispered.

Top Gear

Another Monday morning and after an hour and a half sitting bumper to bumper on the M25 breathing in the fumes, fear and failure of modern life Jude finally drove into the office car park and then drove out again. Time to put her life in fifth.

Vlad The Inhaler

Vlad the Inhaler loved his job. All night long he would hang around bars and nightclubs. He adored sniffing ladies’ perfumes, macho aftershaves, the heady mixture of beer and spirits. All went well until the day he discovered he was a misprint.

Bramber Castle (with a bit of imagination)

The name Bramber is taken from the Saxon ‘Brymmburh’ meaning fortified place.

However to call Bramber Castle a fortified place now is not strictly correct. If English Heritage who owns the site was to charge for admission a lot of people would be asking for their money back. Visitors on first glance just see a ‘pile of stones’ as only part of the 75 feet high (24 metres) circular keep remains standing, pointing skywards like a giant stone finger.

In spite of a distinct lack of ancient architecture, I am amazed that this picturesque ruin has so much history and folklore attached to it.

The first building on the site took place in 1073 by the popular 1^st Lord of Bramber Sir William de Broase around 1075 to guard the prosperous port of Bramber (known then as Portus Adurni) on the river Adur in Sussex.

His descendent William the fourth Lord of Bramber was also well liked by the locals and neighbouring barons. He was one of the few people in authority who wanted to treat his workers fairly. As he grew in popularity he drew the attention and jealousy of King John who hatched a plot to bring down the baron by holding his family hostage at Windsor Castle, allegedly to ensure Sir Williams ‘good behaviour’ in the future.

Legend has it that King John fell for Sir William’s wife, Maud de St. Valery but when she refused his advances he threw her and her children into an oubliette at the castle where they starved to death.

It is said that on certain nights of the year the ghosts of Sir William’s children dressed in ragged clothes can be seen arms outstretched pitifully begging for bread.

These days it is more likely instead of seeing ghosts you are more likely to see colourful hot air balloons in the early evening rising up behind the ruins before commencing to whoosh softly over the river valley beneath. A wonderful photographic opportunity not to be missed and a fantastic spot for a family picnic, just beware of uninvited guests!