House of Curosity
Our near neighbours are certainly a House of Curosity – The Folly is home to a great cafe and Museum of North Craven Life.
Built in 1679 the Folly is one of the Yorkshire Dales only Grade I listed buildings, first built as a gentleman’s residence by Richard Preston. It’s had an eventful life – farm, lodging house, and even a Fish & Chip shop, and a bank! The Folly stayed with the Dawson family intil 1980 and sold to a antique deaer then onto a developer.
In 1994 the Folly was two properties with the North range residential and the other side empty and left to deteriorate until the North Craven Building Preservation Trust acquired it with a grant from the Heritage lottery Fund.
In 2010 the NCBPT took over the derelict building reuniting the house to single ownership.
Over the winter it has undergone some major repairs to the exterior and roof and is looking spendid.
If you want to find out more about either the Settle to Carlisle Railway, local geology, life in Craven. Then afterwards sit in the wonderful location of the cafe for a bit to eat or just a brew.
