Folly Or Deercote In Park

The Folly or Deercote in the Park is a structure dating from the mid 18th century to the early 19th century. It is built of red brick with sandstone dressings and designed to resemble a castle, featuring a gatehouse, four corner turrets, and a curtain wall on three sides that encloses a large square area.

On the south elevation, there is a central early 19th-century sham gatehouse with polygonal angle turrets that rise above the gabled center section. The structure has tall battlements and a large round-headed blind archway. Above this archway is a brick band, with two tiers of three-light blind windows that have segmental pointed heads and brick mullions. These two tiers are positioned closely together, appearing as a single window with a transom. The design includes a returned hoodmould above and a pedimented gable.

The turrets feature chamfered plinths, two tiers of blind windows resembling arrow slits, and two tiers of raised panel brickwork, each separated by a brick stringcourse. The gatehouse serves primarily as a facade and is plain on the north side. On either side, there is a castellated screen wall with six open Gothic arches that have returned moulded stone hoodmoulds. Short matching angle towers have open Gothic arches with stone hoodmoulds on three outer sides and blind stone quatrefoils above on all four sides. The structure is topped with a plain stone entablature and castellated parapets.

There are two additional similar towers and plain brick screen walls along the west and north sides of the enclosure, with the west side featuring a castellated parapet. A painting from the mid 18th century at Sudbury Hall suggests that the corner pavilions were originally roofed and indicates that the gatehouse is a later addition.