History
Chilton Priory (also known as Stradling's Folly) was originally built as a folly, and subsequently enlarged to become a country house. The tower and wing at the rear were built in 1838, for William Stradling. Stradling also incorporated various pieces of buildings and archaeological relics from around the county, especially materials from a Roman Villa at Chedzoy. The upper windows, battlements and grotesque heads came from a demolished castle at Enmore and the pinnacles from an old church tower at Langport. The staircase turret came from a church in Shepton Mallet and three of the windows in the nave from a chapel at Slapeland. The Priory has more recently been home to Katherine Maltwood who was an artist and became known as the discoverer of the Glastonbury Zodiac (otherwise known as the Temple of the Stars), an enormous geomantic creation surrounding the Tor at Glastonbury. The Temple was another folly tower, built by Stradling in the early 19th incorporating re-used 15th features.
The Visit
Visited with @Idavoll, another glorious sunny day and another glorious location for a bit of mooching about. Unfortunately there were no hidden doors or secrets but its another beautiful house with some very nice period features. Spent a good couple of hours here enjoying all it has to offer.
Note to self, lighting a cigarette in a place with a sophisticated fire alarm system is not the cleverest of moves...
Thanks for looking
Chilton Priory (also known as Stradling's Folly) was originally built as a folly, and subsequently enlarged to become a country house. The tower and wing at the rear were built in 1838, for William Stradling. Stradling also incorporated various pieces of buildings and archaeological relics from around the county, especially materials from a Roman Villa at Chedzoy. The upper windows, battlements and grotesque heads came from a demolished castle at Enmore and the pinnacles from an old church tower at Langport. The staircase turret came from a church in Shepton Mallet and three of the windows in the nave from a chapel at Slapeland. The Priory has more recently been home to Katherine Maltwood who was an artist and became known as the discoverer of the Glastonbury Zodiac (otherwise known as the Temple of the Stars), an enormous geomantic creation surrounding the Tor at Glastonbury. The Temple was another folly tower, built by Stradling in the early 19th incorporating re-used 15th features.
The Visit
Visited with @Idavoll, another glorious sunny day and another glorious location for a bit of mooching about. Unfortunately there were no hidden doors or secrets but its another beautiful house with some very nice period features. Spent a good couple of hours here enjoying all it has to offer.
Note to self, lighting a cigarette in a place with a sophisticated fire alarm system is not the cleverest of moves...
Thanks for looking
