Stonework structure and columns of the Inglis Memorial Folly, Northdowns Way at Reigate Hill looking west
Donated by Lieutenant Colonel Sir Robert William Inglis in 1909 to the Corporation of the Borough of Reigate The concrete and stone columnar pillar and capital Inglis Memorial or Folly has an ornate decorated roof depicting the layout of the heavens and houses a viewpoint indicator. Originally a horse drinking fountain, the folly stands 232 metres (762 feet) high at the top of the scarp of the North Downs at Reigate Colley Hill with a clear view to the south and the skyline of the south downs. The memorial roof is decorated with a mosaic that depicts the solar system with Sun and planets in the roof, made up of tiny blue tiles. Reigate Hill and Colley Hill are popular with tourists, having far reaching views to the South Downs some 26 miles away, and over the London Basin to the north and up to Buckinghamshire. From the top of the hill it is possible to see the South Downs, the Hampshire downs, the London Eye and the City of London, Canary Wharf and as far north as Alexander Palace. The chalk hills form the northern tip of the Wealden Anticline and the aquifer that lies beneath is a major source of water supplying London and the South East of England Born 22nd July 1843 in Angus, Scotland, but later moved to Reigate in Surrey, Sir Robert William Inglis became Captain of the 16 Middlesex regiment and later Lieutenant Colonel of the London Irish Rifle Volunteers, and later became Chairman of the London Stock Exchange between 1907 and 1917.
Size: 3430px × 5163px
Location: REIGATE HILL AND COLLEY HILL, SURREY, ENGLAND
Photo credit: © Lindsay Constable / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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