Yorke'S Folly

Yorke's Folly is a folly or landmark built in the late 18th to early 19th century for a member of the Yorke family. Constructed from gritstone and ashlar, it features two shafts designed to resemble the ruins of an east window or church crossing, complete with springers for arches and deeply-chamfered quoins. Each shaft is L-shaped in plan and stands approximately 15 metres high. Originally, it was part of a structure with three columns known as 'Three Stoups', but one column was blown down in 1893. It is said that the folly was built during a time when work was scarce in the district and served as a landmark 'for many generations' by 1894, according to H Speight. The Yorke family constructed a new hall at Bewerley between 1815 and 1820, and it is likely that this landmark was created as part of the area's landscaping during that period.