Dover's 'Lost Castle' - The Court's Folly from the West, Kent, UK

John Latter, on November 5, 2007, said:

The 'miniature castle' of Court's Folly from the upper west terrace showing the West Tower and the east doorway on the left (complete with 'orbs'!).

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(Click on the "Folly" tag to see all images)

The "Court's Folly" was built on the cliffs below the Western Heights in the early 1800s by two Wine Merchants, Stephen and Rogers Court of 140 Snargate Street, Dover, and it was a tourist attraction of its day. For much of its history, however, this 'miniature castle' has been neglected and its ruins are now hidden behind the trees and other undergrowth which cover this part of the cliff-face. Access to the site is 'difficult'.

More information on the Court's Folly can be found at this Dover Museum webpage which states:

...As well as leasing the shop and premises from Dover Harbour Board (history), the Courts' leased 2 plots of land behind, from Thomas Rutley and Thomas Papillon. On this land Stephen and Rogers built terracing for vines, tea gardens, 2 summerhouses, and dug an extensive network of vaults into the cliffs behind, with plastered and painted walls and chalk carvings. The terracing up the cliffs was laid out as gardens, growing the different varieties of grapes that the wines they sold were made from, and also other exotic fruit such as figs and dates. A summerhouse was built at the top of the terracing and further along the cliff-face they built a folly in the shape of Dover Castle silhouetted against the sky. These became tourist attractions and customers could taste-test products sitting on the terracing and have tours of the vaults...

The internal dimensions of the Court's Folly are approximately 10.5 feet by 20 feet. Having said that, the external length of the East Wall is actually about 13 - 14 feet with the last 3 feet or so containing a horizontal oval recess. This extension is probably for cosmetic or structural purposes only because there's no indication of there being anything beyond the inner rear wall. The front wall is 16 inches thick and is over 20 feet high.

Basically, the miniature castle can be described as being two storeys high but only one 'room' deep. The bottom floor faces on to a narrow ledge and there is an upper terrace on the west side (to the left when looking from the front) of the upper floor.

Shots taken below the bottom ledge do show both floors of the structure but those such as the photo at the top of this page give the impression it is a single storey building.

Because of the trees and undergrowth - particularly where it has completely engulfed the East Tower - it is impossible to get a shot of the whole of the front of the building. The most you can see is the central section or the western two thirds. These shots (except for close-ups) were taken by standing on the cliff-face itself which made the experience 'interesting'.

The front is largely intact. Only part of the west wall remains but it does so to its full height. The east wall has a doorway and its height - complete with crenellations - decreases progressively from front to rear. It is impossible to stand more than two feet outside of the east wall without employing some form of levitation.

Looking into the 'castle' from the front, only the lower half of the right-hand part of the rear wall is still standing and includes a chimney course (complete with sooty residue).

The roof and first floor have collapsed and in-filled the building almost to the sills of the bottom floor windows. There is an underground cistern on the west side of the folly.

A video slideshow, titled "Dover's 'Other Castle': The Court's Folly", contains nearly 80 photos of the location and immediate surroundings. It's available on both Google and YouTube, with YouTube giving the better picture.

From Cliff Wine Vaults (abridged):

Rogers Stephen Court seems to be the one who succeeded his father in running the Snargate Street business when he retired in 1827.

He served an apprenticeship as a brandy merchant, and was made a Freeman of Dover in 1812, when he was 24.

He developed the Snargate Street gardens, ranged over six terraces, above the vaults and offices.

The business was featured over several pages in Measom's "Official South-Eastern Railway Guide," of 1863, with one of the engravings showing the gardens, the rather grand looking wine merchant's shop and the entrance to the cavernous vaults.

In modern times these vaults have been known as "Barwick's Caves," and there is talk of a tunnel link to the '64 Steps' (next to Cowgate Cemetery) at Cowgate Hill.

Rogers Court, who had property in Lydden became a town councillor and, in 1838, was made an alderman.

The Court's Folly was featured in the July 2007 issue of the e-Bulletin of The Folly Fellowship.