Simpson's Folly Traditional Geocache
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Historic site of building illegally built on beach in 1878 by a Captain Simpson. The cache is on the exact site of this building. Please spare some time to read the history of this historic site and look at the old photographs I have posted.
Many people will remember the walk along the sea shore from Shore Road to Branksome Chine in the 1950s and 1960s. There was a short promenade at Shore Road and then the walk continued along the beach if the tide was out. You then came across a big pile of concrete blocks and rubble over which you had to climb or wade round before continuing the walk to the promenade at Flaghead Chine. What was the pile of concrete blocks and rubble with the name Simpsons Folly? Simpsons Folly was the remains of the first house ever to be built in the new material called concrete and was said to be strong enough to withstand anything thrown at it. A landowner, Captain John Hawkins Simpson decided in 1874 that he would build a row of seaside villas on the sea shore and chose the shore at Canford Cliffs between Flaghead Chine and Shore Road. This land was owned by the descendents of Lord Osborne. Having obtained the permission of the land owner, Simpson applied for permission from the local authority in Poole to build a row of several houses, intending to build one house at a time to fund the next one. The house was an ugly, square, flat-roofed structure and took four years to build. It was almost completed by 1878 with a large sea wall protecting it. However, the house had been built on a foundation of clay and sand and the sea washed under the sea defences making it unstable. Soon the foundations were undermined and Captain Simpson was forced by the local authorities to abandon the house. Accounts vary between four days and five weeks for his period of occupancy! With no money left to make the necessary repairs Captain Simpson tried to let the house to become a convalescent home, but no one could be found to take a lease. The house stood empty and the sea to continued to wash out the foundations. By 1889 the whole house was close to collapsing. Poole Corporation took up the matter and ordered the new owner of the land, Rev. Hugh Pearson to take immediate steps to improve its safety or destroy the house. The builder had also disappeared. The clergyman refused to co-operate and the Borough Magistrate issued a demolition order on the house. On March 5th 1890 the Borough Engineer and the Coastguard placed three canisters containing 36 pounds of gunpowder in the house. However, the resulting explosion did not do as much damage that was expected, so on 31st a similar amount of explosive was used to flatten the house. There remained a 21 foot high pile of concrete blocks and rubble for generations of children to play on and climb. In 1957 Poole Corporation was given the foreshore and in 1960 and 1961 they constructed a promenade between the Shore Road promenade and the one at St. Ann’s. Then in 1960 and 1961 the Corporation obtained funds from Government and the County of Dorset to remove Simpsons Folly and use it in the foundations of the promenade which was completed in 1962. It is hidden in a high muggle area and should not be looked for when the beach is full. Try an evening or even a night search Please hide very carefully so that is cannot be seen between the slats and see that it is magnetally attached to the stairs.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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