# Lillesden School - September 2010



## urbex13 (Sep 22, 2010)

*History*

I'm not going to go in to great detail, the history has been posted here recently and is all over the internet. Lillesden manor was built in 1855 for Edward Lloyd - a notable banker - in a chateau-esque fashion. It is set in 200 acres of parkland. It was sold following the great war and became a girls school, which over the years was subject to various amalgamations. It closed in 1999 and is likely to be redeveloped into apartments in the near future. 

*The Explore* 

After seeing Bartje and Dicky21's reports I couldn't resist. I visited this site twice, first in the middle of the night, having screwed ourselves over having read a report on "Bedgebury School". "Bedgebury it is then". Or not. Well in the end we ended up in Lillesden which seemed to be the name of the estate itself rather than the surrounding area, at this point it was about 2 a.m. The outside of the building was awe inspiring, coming from Thanet we aren't used to stuff like this .

The place is rather stripped internally but it's the architectural features that make this such a worthy explore, sandstone masonry and huge mirrors to begin with. Spent a few hours wandering the site but had to return to take advantage of the light. Upstairs was a bit dodgy, the lead thefts have caused significant damage to the flooring. Opening doors to see three floors of drop was quite comical. All in all a good explore and I'd definitely recommend it, it's not often you see buildings of this quality.

Visited with four different non-forum UER's.

*The Photos*






















































































As always constructive criticism is welcome, pm me if you fancy a visit, I could photograph this place forever. Hope the tonemapping is reasonable ​


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## tom46 (Sep 22, 2010)

Fantastiche. If I've said it once I've said it a million times, but I love this place, the whole atmosphere of it, it's like going back in time and you've got some belting shots. Thanks a bunch


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## urbex13 (Sep 22, 2010)

My thoughts exactly, I loved the place. Cheers mate, I really wasn't sure about the tonemapping but just went by eye


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## King Al (Sep 22, 2010)

Cool pics urbex13, its nice to see some shots that are different from the norm

Out of interest, how did the pool look?


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## Priority 7 (Sep 22, 2010)

did you venture down the tunnel at all? I regret not testing the 1st floor strength a little as I missed so much of this place. As has been said a nice change of technique for it too


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## urbex13 (Sep 22, 2010)

I looked albeit briefly for the pool but didn't find it. Upstairs is reasonable, I was probing it with a tripod as I went, just stay on the beams . Yeah the underground bits are cool, stumbled across a rather large wine rack too .


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## King Al (Sep 22, 2010)

The 1st floor was starting to get spongy when I visited! :week: (01/10) 

Shame about the pool, I have unfinished business with that pit!!


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## urbex13 (Sep 22, 2010)

In places it is nonexistent  like I said though I just tried to keep to the beams. The floors down to the cellar were the worse bit in my opinion, sinking under my feet


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## frosti (Sep 23, 2010)

those shots are lovely, 

am definitely putting this one on my list!

i had no idea so many sites are not as far away as i once thought.....


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## urbex13 (Sep 23, 2010)

Cheers Frosti.
It's really worth a visit, not too much left other than the architecture but that alone is more than enough reason in my opinion. There's quite a bit in East Sussex. I don't know how much of Hellingly is still knocking about? I'm just starting to move further afield from Kent, I'm only seventeen and therefore it's only over the last year that my urbex has gone particularly mobile


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## Madmaisy (Nov 11, 2010)

Wow, I went to school at Lillesden, just for 1 term before moving up to the Senior School, Bedgebury a few miles away over 25 years ago

How sad to see the state it's become 

The Upper School at Goudhurst was sold to a company that has used it for 4 years to teach foreign students. I see they have just said they are pulling out.. I so hope Bedgebury doesn't end up the way Lillesden has.

I will try & dig out some pictures of Lillesden when it was in the condition a house like this should be...

Heather


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## tommo (Nov 11, 2010)

Madmaisy said:


> I will try & dig out some pictures of Lillesden when it was in the condition a house like this should be...
> 
> Heather



nice one heather and welcome to DP, would be great to see some pics of how it was back then


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## Itsamna (Feb 6, 2011)

*Lillesden School - February 2011*

Visited this site yesterday, AWESOME!
The grounds are enormous. Yes the upstairs floor is dodgy in places and two of the main support columns have been removed and replaced by acro's as shown in the pics.
Unfortunately the batteries died on my camera, charged them before I came out 
The mobile I have had no flash so couldn't add to the the excellent pictures taken of this site.
Teamed up with Star Gazer who hopefully will upload some piccies later.

If your in the area I would recommend checking out Babies Castle/Hawkhurst Castle another large site.
Loads of piccies and info posted here.


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## Angelus (Feb 7, 2011)

Glad to see the mirror is still there


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## mookster (Feb 8, 2011)

Angelus said:


> Glad to see the mirror is still there



some knobend totally defaced it the other month as well as the smaller one on the stairway


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## Tstranger1066 (Feb 20, 2011)

awesome pics, great job! Definately one to visit by the looks of it.


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## Mr Alpha (Feb 21, 2011)

*Nice 1 !*

Some of best shots I've seen from this spot...
wicked work.


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