Hidden Henley – 22 February 2008     www.henleystandard.co.uk

A few weeks ago I featured the curious folly above Dragon Court that overhangs the pavement of Queen Street. I always thought that this was a curious and romantic spot where one could take afternoon tea whilst enjoying an exclusive look out from a high viewpoint. Such places can be seen on the fine properties up Norman Avenue for example.

In fact, the reality is much different.

The new owners are offering this location as an upgraded conference and business centre and the business services manager, Judith Smith, (pictured) invited me to investigate this part of their building for myself. We clambered through a loft space that was unlit, inhabited by spiders and with crawling room over the joists that was severely restricted. Reaching the point in my picture where we are inside the folly tower and actually over the pavement, involved squeezing through a gap not much more than a foot wide. So my thanks go to the new owners for proving once and for all that this really is a folly in the full sense of the word!

However, I still have not found out why its name uses a dragon. Does anyone know?