Randall's Folly

Randall's Folly is a two-story stone building on the Salthouse coast with crenellated walls and wide wooden doors designed to allow carriages to pass through from either side. The structure sits on a mound called the Great Eye and shows the unusual architectural choices made when it was first built.

Onesiphorus Randall, a wealthy London property speculator, had the building constructed around 1860 on a coastal mound. By the 1920s, authorities converted it into a coastguard station before it later became a private holiday residence.

The Board of Trade transformed the building into a coastguard station, equipping it with a rocket cart and cannon for maritime rescue operations.

The location can be viewed from outside, best visited in fair weather and at low tide when the beach and surroundings are more accessible. The building sits in an open coastal area with few services nearby, so it is wise to bring what you need with you.

Writer Sylvia Townsend Warner produced her final novel while staying here between 1950 and 1951, creating a literary link to this unusual coastal building. Few visitors know of this connection between a respected author and this remote folly.

Location: North Norfolk

Inception: 1800s

GPS coordinates: 52.95728,1.09669

Latest update: December 13, 2025 11:40