# Bulstrode House, Gerrards Cross February 2019



## mookster (Feb 9, 2019)

It's not often I get a chance to explore something less than an hour away from me so when this popped up I decided it was worth the effort as it was so local - visited with @Grom @Brewtal and @Zotez

The house is set in the large expanse of Bulstrode Park just outside Gerrards Cross. A brief history and description of the house shamelessy copied/pasted from the historicengland.org website:



> Bulstrode house (listed grade II) lies towards the centre of the park. Rebuilt by Benjamin Ferrey 1860-2 for the twelfth Duke of Somerset, probably incorporating elements of the earlier buildings, it is a rambling, red-brick, Tudor-style building with an imposing tower over the main, north entrance and a French Renaissance-style colonnade on the south front giving access to the adjoining south terrace. The enclosed Inner Court, a service courtyard, is attached to the east side of the house, with various C20 buildings close by. Attached to the north-east corner of the house is the Outer Court, entered from the forecourt through a Gothic arch with a ducal crest in the gable, flanked by railings and brick piers with stone caps. The other three sides of this court have a Gothic loggia fronting a single-storey building; access to the Inner Court is through a gateway on the south side.



In 1966 the house was bought by WEC International, an organisation specialising in training Christian Missionaries for work in far flung corners of the world. In December 2016 the property was sold and they moved to a new headquarters in Coventry, with plans for the conversion of Bulstrode House into a luxury hotel and conference centre approved by the local council last year.

Getting in was a bit of a trek but once inside, and with the ever present wailing of countless fire alarms going off we began the explore. The house is a labyrinth of rooms and staircases going everywhere, it's a shame just how much it's been chopped up and modernised inside and also a shame how idiots have seen fit to concentrate on making a mess of the grand entrance hall. The majority of the building is stripped empty rooms however there are some very nice features left inside if you look hard enough to find them.

An enjoyable morning out!






































































































Thanks for looking ​


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## HughieD (Feb 9, 2019)

That's a cracker Mook.


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## BikinGlynn (Feb 9, 2019)

Yes lovely has been popping up a bit recently, shame to see the inevitable crap graffiti.
Some nice perspective on your shots as always there.


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## Catweazle64 (Feb 10, 2019)

Stunning architecture in that stairwell


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## Sam Haltin (Feb 11, 2019)

Nice house, nice big rooms and beautiful ornate features, crap graffiti.


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## King Al (Feb 14, 2019)

THAT red wallpaper... exquisite! Great pics Mookster


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