# Leybourne Grange March '10



## mr_bones (Mar 14, 2010)

Leybourne Grange is a former villa asylum in Kent, due to the sparse layout of the buildings it occupies a vast expanse of land (270 acres). It is built around a Manor House and some smaller victorian buildings.

Much of the site was either stripped or demolished during 2007, including boiler house, engineering works, mortuary, gymnasium, swimming pool, main hall and ballroom. I didn't hold my hopes up for finding anything interesting but had my fingers crossed that the previously sealed manor house and clocktower buildings would be open.

Our luck was in, and seeing these previously sealed buildings made the trip worthwhile.

Visited with King Al.













































































































































































Some shots from 2006 of buildings that aren't there any more...


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## tom46 (Mar 14, 2010)

Nice to see people are still doing this, always will have a soft spot for Leybourne Grange as it was my first asylum, regardless of whether or not it's trashed beyond recognition 

Great pictures; I take it the last two are older ones?


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 14, 2010)

Another fine Report and piccies Mr. B! 

Didn't realise how substantial the old Manor House is -good to see some parts still there. The Villa Buildings are almost identical to Turner Village in Colchestercestershire. Any ideas if the Manor House to be kept / is Listed?


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## tom46 (Mar 14, 2010)

Far as I know the manor house is listed, as is the clock tower. I think it's all going to be part of the new Birling Grange (sic) housing development by Taylor Wimpey.

Also, I really like the shot from inside the nurses' block!


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## klempner69 (Mar 14, 2010)

Love the staircase very much but its a shame the hall n pool are gone.Clock building looks good as well as the red brick house..hope that gets done up.


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## mr_bones (Mar 14, 2010)

tom46 said:


> Nice to see people are still doing this, always will have a soft spot for Leybourne Grange as it was my first asylum, regardless of whether or not it's trashed beyond recognition
> 
> Great pictures; I take it the last two are older ones?



Leybourne got forgotten about for a while as a lot of the site was demolished and stripped, plus the manor house used to be alarmed.

Thanks, last 3 are 2006 and 2007



Lightbuoy said:


> Another fine Report and piccies Mr. B!
> 
> Didn't realise how substantial the old Manor House is -good to see some parts still there. The Villa Buildings are almost identical to Turner Village in Colchestercestershire. Any ideas if the Manor House to be kept / is Listed?



Thanks Lightbuoy! Manor house is nice but declining quite badly, theres at least one burst pipe in there which is flooding it.

Turner village, is that the place near Severalls that had a stubby water tower?



tom46 said:


> Far as I know the manor house is listed, as is the clock tower. I think it's all going to be part of the new Birling Grange (sic) housing development by Taylor Wimpey.
> 
> Also, I really like the shot from inside the nurses' block!



Thanks for the info, and glad you like the shot.



klempner69 said:


> Love the staircase very much but its a shame the hall n pool are gone.Clock building looks good as well as the red brick house..hope that gets done up.



I certainly hope that all the pre-villa buildings are kept, the villas themselves are pretty shabby though.


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## professor frink (Mar 14, 2010)

mr_bones said:


>



Nice images,the place looks awesome.

This has just jumped up my list.

Will keep an eye out for those dangerous children too.


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## diehardlove (Mar 15, 2010)

nice pics mrbones this place looks really good


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 15, 2010)

mr_bones said:


> .....Turner village, is that the place near Severalls that had a stubby water tower?.....



It sure is. It was built as an Extension to the Royal Eastern Counties Hospital (Essex Hall Asylum for Lunatics), however was designed mainly for people who were physically as well as mentally disabled.

Incidentally, one of the Villas at T.V. has now been demo'd to make way for a new Health Building (for Treatment and / or Training).


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## King Al (Mar 15, 2010)

The pic’s look great MB, the shot through the little door of the court yard and manor house (pic 16) is fantastic!

It was a nice explore that

Here’s a few bits that I caught:


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## mr_bones (Mar 15, 2010)

Nice one Al, like your shot of the lift controls and the corridor in the nurses block! Also good that you captured the date that the mirror was installed. Shame all the heads of the nails where the floorboards would have been were sticking up!


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## King Al (Mar 15, 2010)

mr_bones said:


> Shame all the heads of the nails where the floorboards would have been were sticking up!



Hmmm, I think it will be unpleasant next time I come accross water in my boots


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 15, 2010)

Thanks for popping-up your snaps KA -the old enamel lamp shade is well retro man!


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## Krypton (Mar 16, 2010)

That staircase is amazing. Great work guys.


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## Kent-urbex (Mar 16, 2010)

great report only live down the road love how you put old images in


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## muppix (Mar 16, 2010)

That's a cracking set of pictures you got there Mr. Bones! I hope you won't object to my adding a few of my own from when I was there with _tripleoptics _back in Feb.


mr_bones said:


> Shame all the heads of the nails where the floorboards would have been were sticking up!







D'you know, I was rather taken with all those nails, especially the way they cast shadows across the floor. Got a great sense of malevolence from them, woe betide anybody stumbling around there in the dark! My picture doesn't really capture it enough, but you get the idea.




I'm a sucker for silliness with off-camera flash and coloured gels.




We decided to call it a day when we saw very fresh footprints of what I took to be One Man and His Dog coming down the main stairs of the manor house - and I so wanted to see that place too! In the words of _tripleoptics_: Quit while you're ahead.
Thanks all,
m.


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