NHER 4652 (Monument record) - Site of Thompson's Folly

'Tower' marked in Weston Wood on (S1) and subsequent editions.
'Ruin' on (S2). I could find no trace of this, but it is an excellent site for a prospect tower. Probably rival or twin of Thorpe Tower (NHER 4651). This area was once called the 'Richmond of Norfolk' referring to the river prospect, as compared with Richmond-on-Thames.
Visited by E. Rose (NAU), 1974.

However Broadland Council state that there is a ruin on the site, partly of old brickwork and partly of more recent. [1] refers to it as a 'Roman building'.
E. Rose (NLA), 23 April 1997.

A careful examination of Faden's 1797 map (S3) suggests it may be this tower, rather than NHER 4651, that stands on the site of Thorpe Gazebo; this tower may even be that old.
E. Rose (NLA), 18 August 2000.

(S4) notes that this was called Thompson's Folly in 1800 and so was probably built by Nockold Thompson in c.1760-70, and thus would be Faden's Gazebo. It was Mr Humphreys's Belvedere in 1783.
E. Rose (NLA), 23 October 2002.

July 2005.
[1]. Circular flint nodule foundation 4.16m (13 foot nine inches) across. Base of what appear to be clasping buttresses on west, north and east in late post medieval brick. On south is a brick stamped CENTRAL and thus likely to be around 1940, possibly used as doorstep. Foundation is about 2 foot high and slightly concave, may have supported a wooden floor. Loose bricks lying on hillside include other CENTRALs and also 18th century; also fragments of cast iron guttering. There are old oak trees to the north but to the south the trees are recent (and have invaded the foundations) and it is stated that in winter there is a view to Great Yarmouth. The designation as 'tower' by the OS suggests some height despite the relatively thin walls.

(S5) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 20 July 2005.

February 2007. Information from (S6). For line drawing in 1955 see (S7).
The tower was around 20-25 feet (6m-7.6m) tall, built of flint and with four brick buttresses. There was an entrance on the north-west side, and there were two levels with holes for floor timbers in the walls. It was covered in ivy. It was pulled down sometime in the 1950s, as it was considered to be dangerous by the then owners (?Norwich Union). Someone had knocked flints out on the south side and had gradually formed a large hole in the tower. The informant's family always referred to the tower as 'St William's Tower'.
Compiled by D. Gurney (NLA), 19 February 2007

May 2009. Norfolk NMP.
Thompson's folly visible on aerial photographs (S8) overgrown, and derelict, round tower with no roof, but still standing in 1951.
E. Bales (NMP) 11 May 2009.

30 April 2010.
Site fenced off, but the remains of the tower's foundations are just visible amongst dense undergrowth on the highest point in Weston Wood.
D. Gurney (NLA), 4 May 2010.