Visited with Catullus.
This house has been boarded up on the ground floor, but access was still very easy. As we approached the front door, we could hear others inside, but luckily it was just 2 other urbexers in there.
This house in Crowborough, Sussex, was built in 1904 and designed by architect Hugh Jokin. It was owned by the Walford family. James Walford ran a shipbuilding business and was a potter (which explains the kilns) and painter, and published a book of orchid paintings. Muriel Walford grew the orchids that her husband painted.
About 7 or 8 years ago, James Walford died and Muriel went into a care home. The house has been empty ever since. Muriel died on 12th January 2011 aged 104.
It’s currently on the market for £1.95 million, with planning permission to demolish the house and build a new one. The price is quickly dropping – only a few months ago it was £2.5 million. I doubt it’ll ever end up in my price range though! I really love this house and would want to do it up, but looking at the state of it, it would cost a fortune to renovate.
I’d looked at a lot of photos of this house before visiting, and so when I saw this place I was shocked by how quickly it’s deteriorated. The glass dome over the staircase has been smashed, the banisters have all come down, and there have clearly been a few fires. In one of the top floor rooms with the bay windows, the fire had destroyed the floor and ceiling – the room was pretty much held together by the plants growing in it – the grass appeared structural!
Photos……
This house has been boarded up on the ground floor, but access was still very easy. As we approached the front door, we could hear others inside, but luckily it was just 2 other urbexers in there.
This house in Crowborough, Sussex, was built in 1904 and designed by architect Hugh Jokin. It was owned by the Walford family. James Walford ran a shipbuilding business and was a potter (which explains the kilns) and painter, and published a book of orchid paintings. Muriel Walford grew the orchids that her husband painted.
About 7 or 8 years ago, James Walford died and Muriel went into a care home. The house has been empty ever since. Muriel died on 12th January 2011 aged 104.
It’s currently on the market for £1.95 million, with planning permission to demolish the house and build a new one. The price is quickly dropping – only a few months ago it was £2.5 million. I doubt it’ll ever end up in my price range though! I really love this house and would want to do it up, but looking at the state of it, it would cost a fortune to renovate.
I’d looked at a lot of photos of this house before visiting, and so when I saw this place I was shocked by how quickly it’s deteriorated. The glass dome over the staircase has been smashed, the banisters have all come down, and there have clearly been a few fires. In one of the top floor rooms with the bay windows, the fire had destroyed the floor and ceiling – the room was pretty much held together by the plants growing in it – the grass appeared structural!
Photos……
