89. Lillesden School for Girls

 
Visited one scorching August morning. Priority 7 and myself were just off the boat from a European explore and in the area, so we invited Headflux and Urbexfairy down for a nice chilled splore. I’ve been wanting to do a proper visit to this place for ages now as I have a connection to the building…
 
During his seventy years (1820-1890), Col. Edward Loyd held numerous position of office, JP for Lancashire and Kent; High Sheriff of Kent, 1876; Lt Col. 1st Manchester Rifle Volunteers; Savings Bank Trustee; Secretary local Cricket Club; Member Royal Yacht Squadron, etc. Almost every charitable cause bears his name as a generous giver. His estate provided long-term employment, the spacious well maintained grounds being constantly placed at the disposal of village causes. He was primarily involved with building the Moor schools in 1863, costing £1,600.
 
Here’s Eddie, gotta love his beard:

 
Ed acquired the Elizabethan, timber–framed Lillesden mansion in 1852, demolished it to build the present Victorian, gothic-gabled house slightly to the south in 1855. No etching or painting of the earlier building is traceable and only the old well remains.
 

 
Used in both world wars by the military…..the main function of the house after the war was as a girl’s independent school
until 1998, when it returned to private ownership.
 
For many years the building and grounds were occupied by a girls school. Following the closure of the school in the 1990’s
the main building was converted to and used as a single house, during which many of the original features were lost or
damaged.
 
In the late 1990’s the building became surplus to requirements for the school and was sold to a private owner, and the building reverted to a single private dwelling.
 

 
Although some efforts were made to occupy the property in this both in terms of the scale of the rooms and presumably the cost of running this as a single family house. This resulted in some inappropriate conversion works and alterations to the fabric.
 
Then in early 2007, a developer offered to buy the house, providing they could turn it into 14 flats. So they put in the planning application for the conversion, and waited patiently with the cheque.
 

 
 
The planners went to committee, and everyone had their say, especially the local busybodies, and parish council. It was decided it would be inappropriate to convert it, and better to leave it to fall to ruin.
 

 

 
B&W stair:

 
This one is a weird piece, it’s really easy to see here shot through a wide angle, but when you’re up close to it: you just read it as dots.

 

 

 
Orangery:

 
The lobby was in mint condition at the time of possible purchase:

 
The stone at the head of the column now sits redundant on the rotting floor:
 

 

 

 

 
 
Time and gravity have been unkind, Chandelier:

 
Decorative plaster:

 
There was a strange smell coming from upstairs, couldn’t work out what it was though…

 
Rooflight:

 

 

 
Mickey:

 
Detailing under sill:

 
L above the door:

 
This was the condition of the stairs when the developer went round to view the property:

 
And here they are now, (with the installation of a couple of urbexers)

 
Cheers for looking!