# Frog Manor, Hertfordshire, November 2012



## shot_in_the_dark (Nov 11, 2012)

Went for an explore with UE-OMJ, and along the way, followed up on a hunch that i had about this place. turned out to be a good little snoop, with great company...

This house was once owned by a well-known campaigner, who died a few years back. It has sat derelict for a few years, gradually being overtaken by trees. As with most places, housing development looms. Inside, nearly all the contents have been removed, but very little vandalism seems to have taken place. There are quite a few sinks and toilets (some still with loo roll on the rail), and locks on some internal doors, perhaps suggesting the owner used to put a number of people up in the rooms. The decor is not to everyone's liking, but interesting none the less. it is a beautiful house that would make a lovely home with some hard work and money.

spent a good couple of hours here, hope you enjoy...




1 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




2 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




3 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




4 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




5 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




6 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




7 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




8 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




9 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




10 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




11 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




12 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




13 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




14 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr




15 by shot in the darkness, on Flickr

thanks for looking


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## UE-OMJ (Nov 11, 2012)

Awesome photos there, not sure I want to add any of mine now, you put them all to shame...

It certainly was an interesting explore, particularly how it got its nickname


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## shot_in_the_dark (Nov 11, 2012)

Thanks.

Haha yeah, that was the moment when i walked in, and wondered if you had found a passage to somewhere!! 

Upload em, i'm sure they are great!


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## skankypants (Nov 11, 2012)

Very tidy,,,,great shots,thanks for shareing


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## UrbanX (Nov 11, 2012)

Sweeeeet! Really living your photos dude!
Put em up OMJ, wanna see yours too!


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## perjury saint (Nov 11, 2012)

*Nice one! More lovely shots even if you do insist on shoving yer bloody watermark in the middle of some of 'em!! *


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## chapmand (Nov 11, 2012)

cracking shots, love the 4th one beside the red door. thanks for sharing


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## UE-OMJ (Nov 11, 2012)

Ok, here goes. If anyone has a Nikon Wide angle they want to donate to me for xmas I'd be well happy 



This place isnt easy to see, it's very overgrown!







































Check out the wallpaper!




























Effective use of a Smartphone to make a mini lightbox 













How to ruin a lovely fireplace...























Hmmm, many of these energy saving lightbulbs here...
























Ribbit! (He was one of MANY)







.


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## shot_in_the_dark (Nov 11, 2012)

lovely shots UE-OMJ!! got some stuff i missed there. and of course, the frog... haha


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## Silent Hill (Nov 11, 2012)

Nice work dudes 

Love this place, and the vintage wallpaper is always a winner


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## steve2109 (Nov 11, 2012)

Interesting looking place, great photos, thanks for sharing


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## Judderman62 (Nov 11, 2012)

like it - my kind of thing


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## Pen15 (Nov 11, 2012)

Great brace of images. Well done to you both. 

It looks a good place to see and now added to my ever growing list Haha.

Love the fish wall paper. I bet that particular one is now discontinued lol


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## harriethorne (Nov 11, 2012)

love that wallpaper in the bathroom! 
awesome guys. thanks


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## Lucky Pants (Nov 11, 2012)

Wonderful stuff you two and great pictures well done .


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## explorer101 (Nov 12, 2012)

love the froggies! of course the pictures are awsome too 

L x


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## mrtoby (Nov 12, 2012)

very much liking this...well done


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## flyboys90 (Nov 12, 2012)

Superb report and photos.The bathroom wallpaper is wonderfull.Thanks for sharing both of you.


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## Paulytwotanks (Nov 12, 2012)

Great photo's, a fabulous house. I would date that lovely old fireplace which has been retro-fitted with the gas fire to C1900-1910 because it is damn near identical to one I had in a house that was built in 1907.

Particularly like the dated wallpaper in the bathroom. What a shame some idiot has kicked in a few of the stair ballustrades. Still, all in all, well preserved, thanks for posting..


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## Ratters (Nov 14, 2012)

Nice work


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## shot_in_the_dark (Nov 18, 2012)

Last week when UE-OMJ and myself explored 'frog manor', we stumbled upon a mobile phone. Bit odd we thought, and it didn’t seem to be related in any way to the house. Maybe a contractor or a fellow explorer may have lost it. So we made the joint decision to take it, plug a charger in and see if we could trace the owner.

UE-OMJ found a message that gave a clue to who the owner was and sent a message ‘I’ve found your phone’. Two days later he got a phone call from a guy who was astonished that he was tracing him about his old mobile. It seems the phone actually belongs to a guy who used to live in the house!

UE-OMJ explained who he was, what Urban Exploring is, our ethics and where we found the phone. He was genuinely interested, and said the following...

It seems he and his mum lived in that house from 1953! He was 7 when they moved in and was there for 40 years!

His mum lived there for 57 years but died 5 years ago. He thinks he must have lost the phone when they were clearing the house out. Subsequently the house was sold 3 years ago.

The house was empty for 5 years, they were worried people would break in and set fire to it, it seems they couldn't insure the building against fire as it wasn't occupied. Eventually 3 years ago it was sold to a developer. He was sad to learn that the house is earmarked for demolition, and mentioned that his sister would be heartbroken to hear the news.

The house was built in 1881 and always suffered from subsidence due to being built on chalk and at the top of the hill, and apparently there is a nasty crack in the wall.

The cellars have a fireplace, and were going to be used for the servants quarters, but the people downstairs could hear people talking upstairs which wasn't good, and so a side annex was added to the house (the kitchen, 2nd stairs, loo) and that was for the servants instead. (Before their time though, he didn't have servants)

And finally, he is a nature/animal lover and was chuffed that UE-OMJ rescued 7 frogs from a huge hole in the basement floor 

He said we could either post the phone to him, or pop round for a chat and hear more about the house!! He has some old photos of it when it was lived in. Exciting aye! stay tuned for more updates.


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## banshee (Nov 18, 2012)

that story makes it all the better


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## UrbanX (Nov 19, 2012)

Fantasric shots too mr OMJ! 
What a fantastic storey as an epilogue! Keep us posted on the outcome!!


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## mrtoby (Nov 19, 2012)

love it-very good story and pics chaps.


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## Mars Lander (Nov 19, 2012)

Excellent splore and cracking piks from you both, the mobile fone element adds a really great twist to it all, thanks for sharing


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## Sshhhh... (Nov 20, 2012)

Looks like a great little mooch. The bathroom wallpaper is fantastic Great pics from both of you and a wonderful story about the phone, hope you get to meet the chap and hear his stories


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## shadow ninja (Nov 20, 2012)

ive looked at this place a while back but never managed to get in, nice work lads


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## TeeJF (Nov 21, 2012)

Great story about the phone! That bathroom is like a bad acid trip though!


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## Landie_Man (Nov 21, 2012)

I too have tried to know avail, Sealed tight earlier this year


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## PROJ3CTM4YH3M (Nov 21, 2012)

Nice this place looks really cool! loving the red carpet  top photos too


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## scribble (Nov 21, 2012)

That's fascinating. Looking forward to episode2.


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## nelly (Nov 25, 2012)

Same wallpaper as my bathroom!!


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## Black Shuck (Nov 25, 2012)

Well done both, that's a cracking explore, reminds me very much of Bessingham Manor.


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## mersonwhoopie (Nov 27, 2012)

Great report and photos! Make sure you take a photo of your arse before giving the phone back to him! haha


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## kehumff (Nov 27, 2012)

REally nice shots & location, liking the bench shot....


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## John_D (Nov 27, 2012)

Great report and pics from both  Perhaps I should try to see this before it vanishes.


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## Pixie_Suicide (Dec 22, 2012)

shot_in_the_dark said:


> Last week when UE-OMJ and myself explored 'frog manor', we stumbled upon a mobile phone. Bit odd we thought, and it didn’t seem to be related in any way to the house. Maybe a contractor or a fellow explorer may have lost it. So we made the joint decision to take it, plug a charger in and see if we could trace the owner.
> 
> UE-OMJ found a message that gave a clue to who the owner was and sent a message ‘I’ve found your phone’. Two days later he got a phone call from a guy who was astonished that he was tracing him about his old mobile. It seems the phone actually belongs to a guy who used to live in the house!
> 
> ...



Oh how wonderful! Do keep us updated! What a fab report, thanks guys!


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## jammy (Dec 22, 2012)

Wow,great pics from both parties and a nice little twist to the story at the end.


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## MrDan (Dec 23, 2012)

Lovely story about the phone, is he still local? Please do update us if you visit him!
Should be visiting this site within the next few weeks.


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