Folly Farm, Reading, England

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. 

A 17th century farmhouse substantially extended twice by Sir Edwin Lutyens in the early 20th century, surrounded by contemporary formal gardens, also by Lutyens, with planting designs (now simplified) by Gertrude Jekyll. One of the most complex designs produced by the pair, and regarded as one of their best gardens.

DESCRIPTION

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Folly Farm lies in the Kennet Valley, towards the north end of the village of Sulhamstead, 3 kilometres south of Theale. The 3 hectare site is bounded by Sulhamstead lane to the east, much of which boundary is marked by a brick wall with a tiled coping (possibly by Lutyens), and by agricultural land on the other sides. The ground slopes gently down from south-east to north-west towards the distant River Kennet, and the setting is largely rural, with the village houses strung out along the village lane to north and south.

REFERENCES

L Weaver, Houses and gardens by E L Lutyens (1913), pp 275-83

Country Life, 52 (28 January 1922), pp 112-19; (4 February 1922), pp 146-53; 157 (15 May 1975), pp 1230-2

N Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Berkshire (1966), pp 231-2

J Brown, Gardens of a Golden Afternoon (1982), pp 93-5, col pls 13-16

J Brown, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Miss Jekyll at Folly Farm, (leaflet 1984)

J Brown, The English Garden in our Time (1986), pp 64-6Maps

OS 6" to 1 mile: 2nd edition published 1913

OS 25" to 1 mile: 2nd edition published 1913

Archival items

Copies of Jekyll's planting plans are held on microfiche at the National Monuments Record (originals held at Reef Point, USA).

Sale particulars, 1920 (Reading Local Studies Library)

Description written: May 1998

Edited: March 2000