The Folly At St Michaels Convent (Formely Known As Park Hill)

The Folly at St Michael's Convent, formerly known as Park Hill, is a folly built after 1875 and before 1899, likely for Sir Henry Tate. It is designed in the Perpendicular style and constructed from stock brick and earlier red bricks, rendered in concrete to resemble ashlar, with ashlar quoins. The structure features an octagonal tower that stands about 25 to 30 feet high and measures approximately 15 feet across. It has a two-centred arched door leading to a ground floor chamber. An open upper storey can be accessed by a flight of steps that crosses a stone four-centred arch, which has simple trefoiled spandrels and a hood mould. The tower includes some lancet windows and cruciform arrow slits made of porous rock. Attached to the tower is a wall with a two-centred arched entrance and cast iron spear railings. At the time of the survey, the folly was heavily overgrown with creepers. The tower offers panoramic views over Streatham. The grounds of Park Hill were landscaped in the late 19th century by Robert Marnock.