Crow Manor feb/mar 2017

[prettyvacant71]

Crow Manor

Firstly a massive thanks to Des, a proper decent chap who gave me the heads up on this place before he could even get to visit it himself, I owe you dude I don’t often get to see many residential sites early on the UE scene, by the time I usually get to a place all the interesting bits have either walked off, been smashed up, the place sealed up, redeveloped or demolished, so this was a real treat.


A tiny bit about Crow Manor...

The history of this place appears a little sketchy. All that seems to be about is that it’s a 13 bedroom Grade 2 Listed Georgian property that’s previously been converted into four flats, was possibly owned by a doctor and is yours for a mere £95,000, a bargain, but the price reflects the work required on it. It has a rather small back garden but a lovely sloping tree-lined field at the front, whose bare winter Elm’s support an abundance of squawking, nesting crows adding to the overall atmosphere, I just adore this place!


The explores...

After driving over 200 miles I wasn’t actually sure at what kind of condition I would find Crow Manor in, since a YouTube video said it was due to be auctioned in a few weeks time, and that was in December last year. To be honest I was expecting to see a bunch of skips outside the house, full of the previous owner’s belongings and the new owners having started work on the house. So I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived and the place was still relatively untouched (who am I kiddin, I was so happy I cuda done a shit in the woods).

I walked into the ground floor kitchen first, took a few shots, then decided to try for less of an obstacle course way in, as with experience I have undertaken some unnecessary risks and climbs only to see a walk in way once inside. So to my amazement I strolled straight through the back door and up a cluttered staircase. I spent the rest of the day undisturbed and negotiating my way around the maze of rooms and belongings on the first and second floors.

You can’t really describe the physical journey through the house without touching on how it made you feel emotionally. For me, the logistics of the necessary “tripod action” became an intense nightmare. Just setting the dam thing up became so tiring! None of the three legs were ever at the same height; one would be fully extended on a box, the other only half the length balancing on a stack of uneven books and the third would be halfway up the wall and I would be too scared to breath. I dreaded setting it up and then having to move it a few inches. Making a space for the legs to get anywhere near the floor was very frustrating and time consuming, then repositioning the tripod meant releasing the legs from the grip of the stuff and watching a landslide of books, ornaments, records, cuddly toys and various other bits collected over the years fill the void, much like quicksand. So one day was not long enough lol, by the time it was starting to get dark I had realized that I had not seen any of the ground floor as I had bottled the kitchen assault course. I kipped in the car the night and went back the following morning.

So I attempted the kitchen for the second time. I got across the “floor” which was really only the carpet floating between the only surviving joist, which appeared to be eating the furniture by dragging it into the corner of the room. I climbed the upside down table and found myself in a darkened corridor, with torch in mouth as I needed both hands free, and camera bag and tripod unbalancing me, I thought wtf I am doing? I couldn’t see the floor in front of me but I could see a hole, and with my torch giving up on me I thought I needed yet another reality check, this place probably has a cellar and I’m gona be in it soon, so I bottled it again. It wasn’t until I met up with Des and Dave a week later that we all made the kitchen crossing together...Dave’s good at accidently filming himself falling through floors and windows, and getting his pants pulled down by security’s German Sheppard’s so I felt safer knowing that if something was going to go wrong, then for once it might not happen to me, sorry Dave

Emotionally even though I loved exploring this house, it left me feeling mentally exhausted. It was extremely chaotic with piles upon piles of possessions stacked on top of each other, and all starting to look rather similar in type. It didn’t feel like four separate flats, more like one person’s lifetime collection. Being in such a disorganized environment can make you reflect on the owners lifestyle and your own state of mind, which is never a good thing for me lol...is anybody actually reading this??? Do I ramble??? Why haven’t I slept since 1989???...


So on with some pic’s, finally...



Green House 852 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



Green House 902 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


Green House 911 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

The back door takes you straight up this lovely staircase.

Untitled_HDR2 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Lovely large window at the top of the stairs. I noticed several other buildings in nearby Axminster had this same large shape and style of window, the shut down hotel for one (belled and nothing inside from what I could see).



downstairs green house 236 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

First floor kitchen. Looks like the belongings are set out for an auction.


downstairs green house 273 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Room at the front of the house which leads into a kitchen. I counted at least six piano’s in the house, baby grand’s and uprights.


Green House 960 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Another one of the first floor rooms at the front of the house.


Green House 955 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

One of the first floor bedrooms at the rear of the house.


Green House 925 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

First floor bedroom overlooking small rear garden.


Green House 711 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Narrow corridor from the first floor up to the smaller second floor.

Green House 440 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Room overlooking large field at the front of the house.


Green House 170 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Four-poster bedroom where Derelict Divas scared the shit outa me…was good to meet you dudes...and a 90’s oldskool shout out to djflava

Green House 158 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

I love the fox.

downstairs green house 408 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

downstairs green house 388 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Somebody was watching me…

downstairs green house 337 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


downstairs green house 312 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

I wasn’t being paranoid, I was being watched.


downstairs green house 290 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


downstairs green house 286 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Green House 516 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Up a narrow staircase and creeping around the hole in the floor, up to the second level which had only 2 small rooms on the right hand side of the house…the second floor on the left of the house had more rooms and was quiet a little maze.


Green House 970 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Second level room on the left side at the front of the house…these were smaller interlocking rooms.

Green House 695 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Second level room, which interlocks with other rooms.

Green House 670 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr




Green House 585 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Second floor rear bedroom.

Green House 1017 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Green House 1233 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



Green House 1249 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


downstairs green house 189 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Front door leading into a small entrance hall.

downstairs green house 107 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

The arched entrance hall.


downstairs green house 178 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


Ground floor room at the front of the house, with another piano. I wondered what it must have been like if the people that lived here all played at the same time.

downstairs green house 150 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Another one of the ground floor front rooms. It is possible that the lady in this photograph is the owner of the house, as she appears in many photographs on all three levels of the house.


downstairs green house 143 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

downstairs green house 132 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


downstairs green house 095 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


downstairs green house 035 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Rear room on the ground floor.

downstairs green house 023 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Well I hope you enjoyed my little tour of Crow Manor.

A friend tried to visit here about a week ago and saw the police there. Apparently the neighbors had been calling them every day, he said workmen were there putting up boarding. So if you plan to visit consider this if you are coming from afar.

Be lucky folks

 

[mockingbird]

incredible!
This is probably one of the best residential sites, so far this year. The shot with the flag really is a beauty, you have done a brilliant job photographing each room and item in turn, I personally never find a reason to use any wide lens anymore, so seeing your shots rather wide is inspiring aswel

 

[Mikeymutt]

That really is a beauty mate amd glad you got it.you captured it so well.I would love to see this myself.would be hours in here.that four poster bed is lovely.brilliant place and report

 

[The_Derp_Lane]

I have no words... That is just epic.

 

[White Rabbitt]

Is that a house or a castle? Absolutely enormous and epicly (if that's a word?!) Stunning. The place of all our dreams, it has a little Addams Family to it too. Lol. So much stuff in there though, hope the magpies don't clear that. :/ Thank you for sharing, thoroughly enjoyed. Now, on a different note, would Dave consider putting together a compilation of him accidentally filming himself falling through floors? Lol. I would love to see that too!

 

[smiler]

I Enjoy your style of describing your explores PV, your feeling of excitement, frustration and pure joy comes through.
From the first pic to the last it is enthralling, I Loved it, Many Thanks

 

[Mars Lander]

Fantastic write up ! NIce to see a well written and absorbing back story based upon your experience of the place and paired with such beautiful, well exposed shots of this epic looking house. Very well done

 

[BikinGlynn]

Thats a cracker, I too saw the you tube vid, hope we dont get an epidemic of internet warriors!

 

[Dirus_Strictus]

In the original build the two separate 'attic' rooms were for the House Keeper and Butler, whilst the interconnecting rooms were for the scullery, kitchen and other young maid servants who made up the domestic staff when this place was first occupied. Census returns indicate that the Butler's position was soon swapped for a 'Head Cook'. Typical of its type - being built for show and on limited finances, the construction was typically poor and the condition of the building today reflects this. A delve into the records of the planning applications associated with the conversion to flats should give more historic details, should anybody be interested. This building is well known to those of us who were interested/involved in the preservation of large Georgian houses in the 70's, when many were standing empty or being demolished because of death duties.

The fact that you find almost identical designs of windows, doors, ceiling cornices / plaster work in all Georgian period properties, is due to the fact that the prominent architects of the day published books containing complete details of their designs. Thus the local jobbing architect in any small provincial market town could draw up plans that replicated buildings seen in the major County cities. Sadly construction methods in these inner town or city Georgian terraces were sometimes very poor - an apt description would be Jerry Built. Many years ago I had a flat that consisted of the whole of the first floor in a Derby Georgian terrace, my sitting room was what would have been the principle bedroom of the house and it had a very springy floor. One day whilst helping my landlord fit a new ceiling rose in his living room we had to lift the floorboards in my sitting room and the reason for the springy floor was revealed. Instead of the floor joists being a single length of timber spanning the interior walls, most were made up of two length joined by a overlap joint held by hand made 6 inch nails. As the terrace of eight properties were built, when the builders reached first floor level they just laid lengths of joist timbers along the whole length of the terrace, overlapped each joint by approx one foot and banged in half a dozen six inch nails. Jerry building and building on a tight budget at its best. However with its cast iron gates at the top and bottom of the street, good old Hartington Street must have been the in place to live when it was first built.

 

[HughieD]

That is absolutely INCREDIBLE! Really enjoyed that.

 

[flyboys90]

Really enjoyed reading about your adventure and the splendid way you photographed each room.Thanks for sharing your incredible experience.

 

[Brewtal]

That is one special place and you did a damn fine job of doing it justice. Such a strange collection of stuff. It's like flamboyant chaos stood still if that makes sense. One of my favourite reports, ten points and five gold stars to you!

 

[skankypants]

Great stuff PV,been a while since MGH and Clipstone hey ...super report,what a amazing place...thanks for posting

 

[mockney reject]

nice place this, great pics and not ruined with HDR

 

[Judderman62]

(Picks Jaw off floor)That, Sir, is truly epic. Stunning place.

 

[Suzyexplorer]

wow what a amazing place and captured beautifully .... a gem of a place!!!

 

[jsp77]

excellent write up and photos, i enjoyed this very much and so much to see

 

[chrisb]

Hi, I'm new on here - great photos, thanks for sharing!

Is this house really up for sale? I've been scouring the internet for more information but haven't been able find anything. Would love to find out more.

Chris.

 

[chrisb]

Hi, I'm new on here - great photos, thanks for sharing!

Is this house really up for sale? I've been scouring the internet for more information but haven't been able find anything. Would love to find out more.

Chris.

Well, after another day of searching, I think I found it - looks like it was due to go to auction but was withdrawn. Will keep my eye out

 

[Scaramanger]

You have summed it up well and also excellent pics.. Deffo a unique place.. wont be long before some of those floors go upstairs.. pleasure to meet you here also...