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You know that feeling you get when you step inside somewhere you've wanted to see for absolutely years? That happened to me here. I have wanted to see inside this manor house pretty much ever since I started exploring so to finally step foot inside here was a pretty nice moment for me. We had intended to hit another place close by but that was a no go, so headed back here for another look 'just in case', and totally unexpectedly found it open.
The oldest part of this manor house was built in 1720 as an attachment to a grotto elaborately decorated with shells, in fashion at the time, for a Viscount's wife who was a Maid of Honour at the wedding of Queen Anne. The family sold the estate to another family in 1771 and the new owners subsequently tore down the former owner's mansion rebuilding their own in it's place and then set about substantially altering and expanding the house attached to the shell grotto - sadly this did involve the dismantling and removal of the shell grotto in question which had fallen out of fashion. The owners leased the now much larger house out to various families and, after the last member of the family passed away in 1875 it was sold to a long term tenant of the house.
It remained in private ownership until the early 1950s when it was sold to a leisure management company who used it as their head offices and training college. The company moved out around 2007 and it has sat empty ever since. One wing was stripped back to bare walls however it appeared no work had been undertaken for quite some time, and I presume it's after the work stopped that the VPS shutters went up over every floor except the very top.
Inside it is obvious that a lot of the damage done to the fabric of the building was done when there was work being undertaken on it, all the pipework and plumbing has been removed and there are various holes knocked here and there but it's still surprisingly solid inside with no rotten floors to speak of. The building is a real maze with stairs going off in all sorts of random directions to different areas with all the extensions added over the years.
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Thanks for looking 
[last edit 8/5/2018 9:48 AM by mookster - edited 1 times]
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Great shots! I like the several octagonal rooms throughout the house. I also like seeing the old wood that used to be used as opposed to drywall. The interior looks much different than the exterior shot would suggest.
I'm here for a good time not a long time. |
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If this was deemed too far gone to save, I would definitely get an exact replica built in memory of in the exact same spot and cherish forever!
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Posted by Greg
If this was deemed too far gone to save, I would definitely get an exact replica built in memory of in the exact same spot and cherish forever!
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it's actually surprisingly solid inside, despite a few holes in the roof the floors are generally in sound condition and structurally it's fine - they really don't build them like this any more.
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Reminds me a little bit of a place I explored in Canada, sadly I have no pictures of the experience but the overall layout, color scheme, etc. bring back memories for me.
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Enjoyed the shots! I know exactly what you mean, nothing beats the feeling of finally getting to explore somewhere you always wanted to see. Nice set.
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always amazes me seeing the lack of vandalism in places like this, where I am located everything is covered in it.
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I did my first place that I've been waiting forever to go into a few weeks ago. It's an old brewery that's just been sitting there the last 20 years. There was no way to get in without breaking anything. My friend got a job across the street at a hotel and told me he saw a hatch door on top., so I scaled the building assassins creed style got on top and boom! Unlockeded hatch door, no alarms or anything. That place was 10x more awesome than I expected. No signs of anyone ever exploring it, so I feel like I have my own personal Abandonment for myself. I love that place
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Excellent images! Good stuff!
Sony a7II | Canon 5D mkII | Canon Rebel XSi | Sony 28mm f/2.0 | Yashica 50mm f/1.9 | Sigma 15mm f/2.8 fisheye | Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 | Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM | Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 |
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What an awesome place. Great shots!
Still working on it...
Until then IG: @the_digital_cow |
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Wow. That is a find. Those VPS shutters have become a real enemy for me. Every time I see them it seems to almost guarantee no entry. Really great this changed for you and clearly was worth the wait.
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It's easy to see that place was awesome in its day.
"Well, let me just jump into my time machine, go back to the Twelfth Century and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy for a few days while you take in dinner and a show." |
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That was so worth that wait! You did this place extreme justice, photographically. My favorite visuals are #8 and #13.
In my wild exploring fantasies, I look at #2 and imagine a previous tenant on their deathbed telling someone, "I stashed the loot under the floorboards next to the fireplace... I can't remember which side it was on, but don't worry -- it's all there, and it's a lot of money!"
If you're seeing this here on UER, please let me 'Follow' your work on Flickr: https://www.flickr...otos/91808861@N04/ |
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