I was debating whether to post this place back in February as back then it was pristine and I wondered if it would have attracted negative attention from non-urbexers. However... it's since been ransacked so the wrong people clearly know about it now anyway. Time for more of the right people to know about it, hence posting about having nose in there. It's got some real photogenic potential due the architecture and grounds, though the interiors aren't hugely interesting currently, but it was a very enjoyable explore/mooch. As of writing, there seems to be cameras installed on-site and the police seem to be monitoring the place, so hopefully there won't be any further looting and smashing up, but we'll see.
This building is the lesser-known of three other former Victorian country-houses which form a cluster to the north of Leamington Spa. Jephson House (not to be confused with its namesake near the Law Courts) is a former company HQ which was vacated in 2017. Stonewater Housing was based there for a number of years before moving somewhere else.
The original house was built around the 1850s as one of the first country-houses built in that area to reflect Leamington's continuing golden age as a spa town. The main building is Neo-Gothic in style, with limestone mullion windows contrasting with the red brick. The materials might well be from the area as there was a massive brickworks in nearby Kenilworth and many limestone pits in the area as well, though i've no idea ultimately. Not much appears to have been recorded about the original development, in contrast to the other two nearby country-houses which are better represented online and in the various local-history books. It's also not listed. That said however, the building is still considered by the Warwick District Council to be a "heritage asset" with the following classifications by the WDC:
Category 1 (the type of building) awarded A1 status for architectural, aesthetic and artistic merit as well as A2 status for historic merit.
There's also the remains of a walled garden which might have historical value, the grounds haven't been designated B1 and B2, probably because there's nowt left really.
Category 2 (its social status) awarded B for representativeness, as it illustrates a key element in the areas' history and local architecture.
Though the original date of construction is potentially unknown (even by the council it seems), the original house has been extended several times. The WDC's guidance on the property states:
"The initial phase of construction, as one of the first developments to the north of Leamington, took place during the mid to late nineteenth-century where the principal residential core of the building was constructed. The house was extended with another wing prior to 1905, reflecting similar details as the original structure. Various alterations took place between 1950s and 1970s including single storey extensions to the front elevation, a two-storey wing to the rear and a two storey extension from the west. Three small one storey additions were also constructed during the 1980s and 1990s. The principal elevation is distinguished clearly from the modern elements and its original impression and dominance is largely retained. Jephson House’s significance can therefore be demonstrated as being one of the first developments outside Leamington Spa during the Victorian era and as a quintessential Victorian country house. The site is ultimately still experienced as a large Victorian villa dominating extensive grounds and creating the impression of grandeur in the landscape and local scene".
And that's all I've been able to find out about the place, except for the lease ads online.
This is an OS map (gained from the fantastic National Library of Scotland website) from the 1900s showing the proximity of Jephson House (appearing on here seemingly as Wicksted Lodge) to the other three country houses. I haven't been able to pick-up any info about "Wicksted Lodge" either, other than the name being currently in-use for a property next door.
.
Here's an obligatory faded aerial-shot of the site which all abandoned or mothballed buildings have somewhere within. As you can see, the footprint of the buildings and the layout of the grounds haven't changed much in over 150 years.
The sales literature photos (below and at left) provide some timely and wistful before-and-after context to what the place looked like when I visited (below and right).
I don't know who took the sales photos, so I can't credit them at present.
.
Main entrance. The driveway leads behind me to the road. It felt vaguely industrial, maybe hospital-esque perhaps. The boarding has added mystery to the look, I think.
The other side of the building, in the grounds showing the original house and the shorter additions spreading out to the right. I hate the haphazardly placed roofing windows.
.
The "master" boardroom (or bedroom). I've never been in-person so I can't be sure, but this room with its ceiling tiles and wooden paneling reminded me some rooms in Talgarth asylum.
.
One of the outhouses at the front of the building near the road. I didn't access these.
.
Two different views showing the pond. The photo at left would have been taken from one of the cottage-y upstairs windows in the pic at right.
Once again, it's more interesting with imagination. These views make the part of the original building at left look a bit like a railway station, as the stone patio could be the remains of an old platform.
THE EXPLORE:
I have driven past this place loads of times over many years and never paid any attention to it. It wasn't until the for-lease/sale boards went up a couple of years ago that I noticed it's existence. But it wasn't until February this year that I decided to take a look. I walked around the exterior a month before lockdown and the place was in really good repair, at least externally - no broken widows or damaged roofing, etc. I returned a week ago however, to find the place had been trashed both inside and out, with the turning-weather quickly seeming to make its presence felt, too. Nearly every pane of door and window glass has been smashed throughout, and damp is already setting in. It seems to be more the work of metal fairies rather than chavs though, as there's almost no graffiti or evidence of bongs, alcohol etc. Instead the activity (except for the dubious glass smashing championships) appears to be of the classic find-anything-valuable variety: Pulled up carpets and lifted floorboards, loft spaces raided, and holes made in walls to access utility pipes. It's a bit depressing. Whoever has been searching the place doesn't seem to have found much to warrant all the reverse DIY however.
The explore itself was very sedate and access was really easy but that appears to be changing at the time of writing this, (the sales companies have also started pulling the ads for this place off of their websites). The buildings themselves have had a lot of their potential character ironed-out over the decades despite the impressive and interesting exteriors. Though there's a couple of lovely fireplaces with various brick, tile or stone surrounds, and there's some decorative mouldings, the interior is almost all bland magnolia and strip lighting. It really didn't feel like a corporate HQ, but didn't quite feel institutional or characterful enough to feel like a hospital or asylum, so it felt more like a small-town accountant's office bloated to fill a massive house. I was hoping for something...anything!...to liven it up: A gharishly painted wall perhaps, some beautifully hideous wallpaper or even a strange piece of furniture. But nope. Beige is what you get. That said, maybe the basement will yield something eye-catching and the occasional feature, view or shot do give it some fleeting personality. As it's a blank canvas though, you could set-dress this place for any kind of TV show or film and it'd make for a pretty cool location, coming to a Netflix show near you!
.
A portable steam-roller for unruly rhododendrons. And some very specific tile damage in a corner of the outbuilding.
The spire of the outbuilding and the window in one of the original extension staircases. Note the concertina window bars. Many of the videos are barred.
Reception. Main stairs behind me. Once again, very slight hospital Admin vibes, if you squint.
Light and dark...
"Timeless bland" could be the decor buzzword throughout. Nearly all the larger lower floor rooms looked like this, except some had some decorative moulding on the ceilings.
I did like the hanging lights though, these and the fireplace gave some rooms an institutional feel, which breathed a bit of character back in.
Rather lovely, if not original, panelling. Positively Talgarthian if you ask me. Which no one is.
Test your eyesight on-site with this handy chart.
Not one pane of glass unstoned.
Walled garden remains.
Extensions and outbuildings. I like how higgledepiggeldy this wing of the building is, it's like a country-house has crashed into a village.
And there we go. Thanks for having a ganders and try to remain calm.
:
This building is the lesser-known of three other former Victorian country-houses which form a cluster to the north of Leamington Spa. Jephson House (not to be confused with its namesake near the Law Courts) is a former company HQ which was vacated in 2017. Stonewater Housing was based there for a number of years before moving somewhere else.
The original house was built around the 1850s as one of the first country-houses built in that area to reflect Leamington's continuing golden age as a spa town. The main building is Neo-Gothic in style, with limestone mullion windows contrasting with the red brick. The materials might well be from the area as there was a massive brickworks in nearby Kenilworth and many limestone pits in the area as well, though i've no idea ultimately. Not much appears to have been recorded about the original development, in contrast to the other two nearby country-houses which are better represented online and in the various local-history books. It's also not listed. That said however, the building is still considered by the Warwick District Council to be a "heritage asset" with the following classifications by the WDC:
Category 1 (the type of building) awarded A1 status for architectural, aesthetic and artistic merit as well as A2 status for historic merit.
There's also the remains of a walled garden which might have historical value, the grounds haven't been designated B1 and B2, probably because there's nowt left really.
Category 2 (its social status) awarded B for representativeness, as it illustrates a key element in the areas' history and local architecture.
Though the original date of construction is potentially unknown (even by the council it seems), the original house has been extended several times. The WDC's guidance on the property states:
"The initial phase of construction, as one of the first developments to the north of Leamington, took place during the mid to late nineteenth-century where the principal residential core of the building was constructed. The house was extended with another wing prior to 1905, reflecting similar details as the original structure. Various alterations took place between 1950s and 1970s including single storey extensions to the front elevation, a two-storey wing to the rear and a two storey extension from the west. Three small one storey additions were also constructed during the 1980s and 1990s. The principal elevation is distinguished clearly from the modern elements and its original impression and dominance is largely retained. Jephson House’s significance can therefore be demonstrated as being one of the first developments outside Leamington Spa during the Victorian era and as a quintessential Victorian country house. The site is ultimately still experienced as a large Victorian villa dominating extensive grounds and creating the impression of grandeur in the landscape and local scene".
And that's all I've been able to find out about the place, except for the lease ads online.
This is an OS map (gained from the fantastic National Library of Scotland website) from the 1900s showing the proximity of Jephson House (appearing on here seemingly as Wicksted Lodge) to the other three country houses. I haven't been able to pick-up any info about "Wicksted Lodge" either, other than the name being currently in-use for a property next door.
Here's an obligatory faded aerial-shot of the site which all abandoned or mothballed buildings have somewhere within. As you can see, the footprint of the buildings and the layout of the grounds haven't changed much in over 150 years.
The sales literature photos (below and at left) provide some timely and wistful before-and-after context to what the place looked like when I visited (below and right).
I don't know who took the sales photos, so I can't credit them at present.
Main entrance. The driveway leads behind me to the road. It felt vaguely industrial, maybe hospital-esque perhaps. The boarding has added mystery to the look, I think.
The other side of the building, in the grounds showing the original house and the shorter additions spreading out to the right. I hate the haphazardly placed roofing windows.
The "master" boardroom (or bedroom). I've never been in-person so I can't be sure, but this room with its ceiling tiles and wooden paneling reminded me some rooms in Talgarth asylum.
One of the outhouses at the front of the building near the road. I didn't access these.
Two different views showing the pond. The photo at left would have been taken from one of the cottage-y upstairs windows in the pic at right.
Once again, it's more interesting with imagination. These views make the part of the original building at left look a bit like a railway station, as the stone patio could be the remains of an old platform.
THE EXPLORE:
I have driven past this place loads of times over many years and never paid any attention to it. It wasn't until the for-lease/sale boards went up a couple of years ago that I noticed it's existence. But it wasn't until February this year that I decided to take a look. I walked around the exterior a month before lockdown and the place was in really good repair, at least externally - no broken widows or damaged roofing, etc. I returned a week ago however, to find the place had been trashed both inside and out, with the turning-weather quickly seeming to make its presence felt, too. Nearly every pane of door and window glass has been smashed throughout, and damp is already setting in. It seems to be more the work of metal fairies rather than chavs though, as there's almost no graffiti or evidence of bongs, alcohol etc. Instead the activity (except for the dubious glass smashing championships) appears to be of the classic find-anything-valuable variety: Pulled up carpets and lifted floorboards, loft spaces raided, and holes made in walls to access utility pipes. It's a bit depressing. Whoever has been searching the place doesn't seem to have found much to warrant all the reverse DIY however.
The explore itself was very sedate and access was really easy but that appears to be changing at the time of writing this, (the sales companies have also started pulling the ads for this place off of their websites). The buildings themselves have had a lot of their potential character ironed-out over the decades despite the impressive and interesting exteriors. Though there's a couple of lovely fireplaces with various brick, tile or stone surrounds, and there's some decorative mouldings, the interior is almost all bland magnolia and strip lighting. It really didn't feel like a corporate HQ, but didn't quite feel institutional or characterful enough to feel like a hospital or asylum, so it felt more like a small-town accountant's office bloated to fill a massive house. I was hoping for something...anything!...to liven it up: A gharishly painted wall perhaps, some beautifully hideous wallpaper or even a strange piece of furniture. But nope. Beige is what you get. That said, maybe the basement will yield something eye-catching and the occasional feature, view or shot do give it some fleeting personality. As it's a blank canvas though, you could set-dress this place for any kind of TV show or film and it'd make for a pretty cool location, coming to a Netflix show near you!
A portable steam-roller for unruly rhododendrons. And some very specific tile damage in a corner of the outbuilding.
The spire of the outbuilding and the window in one of the original extension staircases. Note the concertina window bars. Many of the videos are barred.
Reception. Main stairs behind me. Once again, very slight hospital Admin vibes, if you squint.
Light and dark...
"Timeless bland" could be the decor buzzword throughout. Nearly all the larger lower floor rooms looked like this, except some had some decorative moulding on the ceilings.
I did like the hanging lights though, these and the fireplace gave some rooms an institutional feel, which breathed a bit of character back in.
Rather lovely, if not original, panelling. Positively Talgarthian if you ask me. Which no one is.
Test your eyesight on-site with this handy chart.
Not one pane of glass unstoned.
Walled garden remains.
Extensions and outbuildings. I like how higgledepiggeldy this wing of the building is, it's like a country-house has crashed into a village.
And there we go. Thanks for having a ganders and try to remain calm.
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