The surviving portion of a former house on the south side of the former Bell Lane, now offices. 1864, later alterations. For TF Addison, a lawyer. Ashlar, dressed stone in courses, and rubble rendered in part; some of the masonry probably medieval and from demolished parts of the Franciscan Friary (Greyfriars) (qv), slate roof. An east-west, gabled range, formerly a wing at the rear of house, with the tower attached on the south side at the west end built as a feature within the former back garden of the house.
EXTERIOR: tower of three tall storeys, range of three storeys; the tower at first-floor level on the west and south sides has a raised band, and on all sides a crowning cornice and crenellated parapet with weathered coping; on the west side the entrance doorway in doorcase with pilasters and entablature, on the south side to right on the ground floor a snall square sash, above on the second floor a tall sash, both in openings with flat arched heads with key stones, on the third floor in each face a tall, semicircular arched sash; all in similar openings with plain architraves, raised keystones in the arches and projecting sills on moulded end-brackets. The adjioning range at its east end has a stone-coped, open pedimental gable with moulded verges; on the ground floor a doorway with C20 French doors, on the first floor a tripartite sash, and on the third floor extending into the gable a similar but taller tripartite sash; on the south side on the ground floor two sashes and on the first floor to right a sash.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
HISTORY: plaque attached to west wall is inscribed: "ADDISON'S FOLLY was built in 1864 by Thomas Fenn Addison in memory of Robert Raikes who, together with Thomas Stock (both pioneers of the Sunday School Movement), in 1780 started a Sunday School to teach poor children to read".