Hawkstone Park Follies Review

Day 3 on our round Britain Staycation Adventure and we were off to Hawkstone Park Follies. Hawkstone Park Follies isn’t going to be the most well-known of the tourist attractions we visit on our adventure, but in the 19th century, it was one of Britain’s most popular tourist spots.

The Follies are situated in 100 acres of natural sandstone hills. They have been developed to include gullies, caves, towers, and bridges. During the 20th Century, the park was forgotten and laid overgrown in ruins. However, the park reopened to visitors in 1993 after a significant restoration project. The park is now listed as a Grade 1 landscape by English Heritage.

What is a Folly?

If you’re a little ignorant like me, you might be wondering what a Folly is?

a costly ornamental building with no practical purpose, especially a tower or mock-Gothic ruin built in a large garden or park.
Oxford Languages

The follies at Hawkstone include a greenhouse, menagerie, urn, tower, 100-foot tall monument, narrow bridge, gothic arch, grotto, and a castle. The complete list of follies and unusual sites is endless.

Hawkstone Park Follies..A natural wonder in Shropshire

What is Hawkstone Park Follies like?

Hilly! Very Hilly!

The full walk takes around 3.5 hours but allows 4 hours for a well-deserved halfway break. The website says the site isn’t suitable for wheelchairs, and that is correct. Hawkstone Park Follies isn’t suitable for anyone with limited mobility and small children.

My phone suggests I walked around 50 flights of stairs during the walk. We walked the entire route, but there are some shorter and less strenuous routes. However, even the least strenuous routes will be challenging for those without good mobility.

However, you will be met by some of the most amazing landscapes and bizarre sights you will find anywhere for those who attempt the whole route. Hawkstone Park Follies is a genuine United Kingdom natural wonder, and the low crowds add to the appeal. Amazingly, it isn’t more well known. If I were a Hollywood producer, I would be checking Hawkstone Park out.

Final thoughts

In a year when international travel is limited, Hawkstone Park Follies is a natural wonder on your doorstep. You could travel 1000’s miles and not find a better natural wonder. If you are visiting Shropshire and want a different experience, check it out.