Oh Folly

Had a little jaunt out to Triangular Lodge today. One of those 'it's nearby but I've never actually seen it' places: not worth more than a half-hour trip really (at least not when it's as cold as today) as it's just the unfurnished lodge, no grounds to speak of. The photograph itself has the odd look of a camera-created panorama, but that's purely down to the nature of the building!

It was built at the end of the 16th century by a Roman Catholic called Thomas Tresham (who I've discovered also built this, clearly a man who liked quirky buildings) as a 'device': something with an oblique meaning or meanings. He was extremely devout and somewhat obsessed with the number 3, given the Holy Trinity, the trefoils in his coat of arms and the family name: Tresham was sometimes written Tresam, which translates as 'I am three.' Everything about this place is threes: three sides, three floors, three gables on each side, and trefoils all over the place.

The Tresham family faith ended badly however: Thomas' son Francis tried to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I as part of the Earl of Essex's uprising, and only escaped with his life because daddy paid off the right people. Not content with this, he was then involved in a certain Gunpowder Plot in 1605 (but thought it wise to write to his friend Lord Monteagle first*, thereby ruining the whole thing). Daddy couldn't help him this time as he'd already passed away, but Francis died in the Tower of London before justice could be served. Didn't stop them beheading his corpse and displaying the head above the town gate of Northampton though...


*Probably. It's never been proved that it was Francis, but some historians think he's the best bet.