A newly built old-looking ruinSourced
The garden could manufacture its own antiquity
Garden follies could imitate ruined abbeys or ancient temples, supplying a romantic structure where no old ruin existed. Decorative purpose does not mean every folly lacked practical use; some uses were later lost. The appearance of age and the building’s actual history differ.
A ruin-like view can have been planned from the beginning.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Folly · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-05