what is a folly tower

A folly tower is a tower that has been built as an architectural folly, constructed for ornamental rather than practical reasons. Folly towers are common in Great Britain and Ireland, and often have some practical value as landmarks or viewpoints, unlike other types of folly. Essentially, a folly is a building that has no obvious use, other than to be decorative. Folly towers are architectural structures built purely for aesthetic pleasure rather than functionality. They can be round, square, rectangular, octagonal, or triangular, but almost always have a staircase inside and a platform at the top from which to see the view. Some follies take the form of towers built on high ground, and so can be seen for miles around. In a few cases, they include stairs inside that allow access to the roof or mock battlements.