The History of The Folly

Settle’s Folly was the subject of our March talk at Ingleborough Community Centre, Ingleton.

Heather Lane, honorary curator of the Museum of North Craven Life, traced the history of the much-loved building from its construction in the 1670s to the present day.

The Folly was originally built as a gentleman’s residence and was known as Prospect House. Over the years, as Settle developed, the building was divided and had a variety of uses including a farmhouse, bakery, bank and fish & chip shop.

It has been extensively refurbished and is now the home of the museum and a popular cafe while ongoing research is uncovering new evidence about the house and its builder.