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What we know for sure is that the window was erected in its new position on Henbury Hill by 1830 as it is shown on the first series of the Ordnance Survey Map as a ‘Summer House.’ What isn’t known for sure is who erected it. The first contender is Henry Brooke (1763-1829) who lived at Henbury Hill House (now named Blaise Manor), the second is John Cave (1765-1842) of Brentry House. The folly was equidistant between these two properties. George Weare Braikenridge (1775–1856), the Bristol antiquary wrote (in manuscript) that it was Henry Brooke who ‘set it up as a sham ruin on Henbury Hill to act as an eye-catcher from his house.’ Circa 1887 John Latimer stated in his ‘Annals of Bristol in the Nineteenth Century’ that it was John Cave who erected it.

For almost one hundred years the eye-catcher was a local landmark, visible from some distance. Following the end of WWI, Frederick M. Burris (1881-1948), built a house called Longacres close to the folly and incorporated it into his garden design. In 1989 Berkeley Homes acquired Longacres and redeveloped it, they offered the folly for sale for just one pound, provided you also purchased one of their new homes.

This link shows an undated picture postcard of the window in colour, however it must be remembered that although colour photography/printing didn’t appear until the 1930s, it was quite common for the photograph to be hand tinted or painted at the publishers prior to printing.

https://archives.bristol.gov.uk/records/43207/9/44/71

More fascinating information on the window may be found here.

https://thefollyflaneuse.com/the-lookout-henbury-bristol