Ferry House Fish Farm - Shillingford January 2021

[J_a_t_33]

Almost a year on from Mooksters report in Feb 2020: Ferry House Fish Farm, Shillingford February 2020

History from Mooksters report:
The large rambling house was converted into a fish farm in 1952 and then refurbished in 2003, it gained a good reputation within fisheries circles until it closed it's doors in 2018 after the deaths of it's owners. The property was handed down to family members but has been left derelict ever since.

The place has been heavily visited and most of the contents have gone missing since Mooks had a mooch, but the place is still in very good condition considering.

Starting out, here is the front of the house, which at first glance, looks like a pretty regular luxury house

Then as you venture round the back, you realise there is more to this house than first meets the eye.

A huge pond, one can only assume would have one been filled with fish.

Before going inside, let's explore the out buildings in the grounds.

Very feminine shaped tank of some sorts

Out buildings with small tanks

Out building with large water ponds, piping and tanks

Mobility walker in the garden looks almost brand new and still has the manual in the storage bag

Enjoying the features of the house as we approach

Heading inside

Oh my, someone has left a rather dodgy looking toy on the fl... Oh, it's a wall light!!

Safe that was once part of the wall

Into the mouldy living room

Several hand-drawn house plans (for different houses) found on the kitchen table

Heading upstairs

Back downstairs, someone still looking happy to be here!

Before the days of multi-switch?

Then at the end of the explore we ventured into the lrge function room on the side of the house which included a surprise swimming pool.

Many things from the house have now ended up in the pool

Then I am going to end with 2 pics I took when we explored the house a few days previous to this explore in the dark

Sadly, this stunning woven art piece was no longer there upon our second visit

And we'll finish with a little kitchen prayer

Thanks for looking

 

[Judderman62]

Well isn't that just all kinds of special. Good report and great pics. Nice one.

 

[Westparkveteran]

Remarkable photography of a grandious country house x trying to pin a date of original construction although it looks like a variety of additions and remodeling would confuse even the most keen observer x I’m guessing it is mid to late Victorian with some later Edwardian influences x curved glass was in its infancy during late 19th early 20th century x any ideas??

 

[night crawler]

Blimey I never knew it looked like that around the back & I have driven past upteen times. The river Thames is less than a hundred metres away but then there is woodland between it. Awesome report though

 

[Antar]

Remarkable photography of a grandious country house x trying to pin a date of original construction although it looks like a variety of additions and remodeling would confuse even the most keen observer x I’m guessing it is mid to late Victorian with some later Edwardian influences x curved glass was in its infancy during late 19th early 20th century x any ideas??

I'd guess it's mainly around 1910 - 1915

 

[2blokes]

Almost a year on from Mooksters report in Feb 2020: Ferry House Fish Farm, Shillingford February 2020

History from Mooksters report:
The large rambling house was converted into a fish farm in 1952 and then refurbished in 2003, it gained a good reputation within fisheries circles until it closed it's doors in 2018 after the deaths of it's owners. The property was handed down to family members but has been left derelict ever since.

The place has been heavily visited and most of the contents have gone missing since Mooks had a mooch, but the place is still in very good condition considering.

Starting out, here is the front of the house, which at first glance, looks like a pretty regular luxury house

View attachment 507233
View attachment 507234

Then as you venture round the back, you realise there is more to this house than first meets the eye.

View attachment 507235

A huge pond, one can only assume would have one been filled with fish.

View attachment 507236
View attachment 507338View attachment 507339
View attachment 507239

Before going inside, let's explore the out buildings in the grounds.

Very feminine shaped tank of some sorts

View attachment 507332

Out buildings with small tanks

View attachment 507333
View attachment 507334
View attachment 507335

Out building with large water ponds, piping and tanks

View attachment 507336

Mobility walker in the garden looks almost brand new and still has the manual in the storage bag

View attachment 507337

Enjoying the features of the house as we approach

View attachment 507340
View attachment 507341View attachment 507342View attachment 507343View attachment 507344

Heading inside

View attachment 507345View attachment 507346
View attachment 507378
View attachment 507379
View attachment 507349
View attachment 507350

Oh my, someone has left a rather dodgy looking toy on the fl... Oh, it's a wall light!!

View attachment 507351

Safe that was once part of the wall

View attachment 507352
View attachment 507353View attachment 507354

Into the mouldy living room

View attachment 507262

Several hand-drawn house plans (for different houses) found on the kitchen table

View attachment 507263

Heading upstairs

View attachment 507264
View attachment 507265View attachment 507266View attachment 507267View attachment 507268
View attachment 507269View attachment 507270View attachment 507271View attachment 507272

Back downstairs, someone still looking happy to be here!

View attachment 507273

Before the days of multi-switch?

View attachment 507274
View attachment 507280

Then at the end of the explore we ventured into the lrge function room on the side of the house which included a surprise swimming pool.

View attachment 507275View attachment 507276

Many things from the house have now ended up in the pool

View attachment 507278View attachment 507279

Then I am going to end with 2 pics I took when we explored the house a few days previous to this explore in the dark

Sadly, this stunning woven art piece was no longer there upon our second visit

View attachment 507281

And we'll finish with a little kitchen prayer

View attachment 507282

Thanks for looking

Great number bud .
Looks like the out building were breeding pool tanks for small fry to grow in.
They may be other pools close by ???

 

[night crawler]

Great number bud .
Looks like the out building were breeding pool tanks for small fry to grow in.
They may be other pools close by ???

There are private fishing ponds near the road where I have never seen any one apart from the one time it was open and I drove in to see if they minded me looking at a pillbox nearby. Could not say if it was anything to do with the house though

 

[neil roberts]

It just surprise me that a property like this hasn't been snapped up by a developer or creative individual looking to do some sort of refurbishment or conversion given its idyllic location near to the Thames and all the land etc that it obviously has. Do we know what the ownership position is now or has any of the family looked to sell it on the open market yet? I have tried to find out a little about the place but am coming up blank at the moment. I would certainly be interested to look into some sort of restoration on behalf of a client or consortium of development companies but don't know who to approach first. It seems to good a design to just demolish or allow to fall down...it cannot be long before that will occur now looking at the latest pictures.
NR

 

[Rebexer]

It’s in probate and has been for three years now.

It just surprise me that a property like this hasn't been snapped up by a developer or creative individual looking to do some sort of refurbishment or conversion given its idyllic location near to the Thames and all the land etc that it obviously has. Do we know what the ownership position is now or has any of the family looked to sell it on the open market yet? I have tried to find out a little about the place but am coming up blank at the moment. I would certainly be interested to look into some sort of restoration on behalf of a client or consortium of development companies but don't know who to approach first. It seems to good a design to just demolish or allow to fall down...it cannot be long before that will occur now looking at the latest pictures.
NR

 

[Dirus_Strictus]

The "Woven" Art Piece is certainly not woven! All too common in the 50's and 60's, it is an unfinished Cross Stitch canvas, done from a kit that contained colour printed canvas and skeins of 4 ply woollen threads. When I was about 7 I helped Mother stitch a view of York Minster, which Dad framed as a fire screen for use during the summer months. My Brother still uses it now!.

 

[recyclefraulein]

It is so sad to see it deteriating like this. I would think the attorney would be taking care of it during probate. It is a gorgeous house and land.

 

[Rebexer]

Agreed it’s heartbreaking. There were reports that their lawyers were contacting people on forums such as this, who has written reports or admitted entering the property, think their time could be better served trying to save this beautiful house!

It is so sad to see it deteriating like this. I would think the attorney would be taking care of it during probate. It is a gorgeous house and land.

 

[night crawler]

Agreed it’s heartbreaking. There were reports that their lawyers were contacting people on forums such as this, who has written reports or admitted entering the property, think their time could be better served trying to save this beautiful house!

Not a lot they can do is there. No one on here is going to reply to a lawyer and Admin are not obliged to provide names and addresses to them not they they are going to be a real address anyway. They would have to prove damage to the property was caused buy who ever they are trying to blame and it would cost more that it is worth the effort of doing. When Fair Mile was being developed every weekend the place was Broken into by Explorers and photos posted on Monday. The developers could only shrug their shoulder's and if they were caught escort the off the property. There is no security at the place from the look of things so they only have them selves to blame. At winterbrook a few miles away there is a nursing home that has been empty for a while now and that has security on sight for a while, I notice now there is no presence though there is a camera so the place is still watched. If they do not bother with some type of security at Ferry House what can they expect.

 

[Rebexer]

Yes indeed.

Not a lot they can do is there. No one on here is going to reply to a lawyer and Admin are not obliged to provide names and addresses to them not they they are going to be a real address anyway. They would have to prove damage to the property was caused buy who ever they are trying to blame and it would cost more that it is worth the effort of doing. When Fair Mile was being developed every weekend the place was Broken into by Explorers and photos posted on Monday. The developers could only shrug their shoulder's and if they were caught escort the off the property. There is no security at the place from the look of things so they only have them selves to blame. At winterbrook a few miles away there is a nursing home that has been empty for a while now and that has security on sight for a while, I notice now there is no presence though there is a camera so the place is still watched. If they do not bother with some type of security at Ferry House what can they expect.

 

[J_a_t_33]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Went past this place again the other day and it seems one of the windows has been boarded up and gates out front closed a little, so seems someone is kinda taking care of it... Although the broken window on the far right that gives access inside from the front is still broken, so the extent to which they care about this place is questionable...

 

[Fluffy]

Cracking report this, lovely place. Just a little note though, probably not the best idea posting exactly how to get access to the place, on a public forum... The place has survived relatively well so far, lets not make it any worse eh?

 

[Shazbat21]

Hi,
Re the 'Younger Furniture' label, I googled it and....

YOUNGER FURNITURE​

Younger was a leading light in high end British contemporary furniture and design.

Younger made top end furniture for discerning customers during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Their products were made in low volume, crafted to the highest standard and always on the cutting edge of design.
Under the direction of talented design director John Herbert, Younger was a pioneer of contemporary style. The firm was one of the first to embrace the organic Scandinavian style in the late 1950s.
By the late 1960s Herbert had tired of the Scandinavian style and was keen to forge a new direction in contemporary design. Herbert found new inspiration in traditional Spanish design and well crafted Georgian furniture. This new design direction paved the way for a new style that would define the coming decade.
Although the Younger style was always leading the way in contemporary design it remained an expensive and exclusive product, loved by many but owned by a lucky few."

 

[J_a_t_33]

Hi,
Re the 'Younger Furniture' label, I googled it and....

YOUNGER FURNITURE​

Younger was a leading light in high end British contemporary furniture and design.

Younger made top end furniture for discerning customers during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Their products were made in low volume, crafted to the highest standard and always on the cutting edge of design.
Under the direction of talented design director John Herbert, Younger was a pioneer of contemporary style. The firm was one of the first to embrace the organic Scandinavian style in the late 1950s.
By the late 1960s Herbert had tired of the Scandinavian style and was keen to forge a new direction in contemporary design. Herbert found new inspiration in traditional Spanish design and well crafted Georgian furniture. This new design direction paved the way for a new style that would define the coming decade.
Although the Younger style was always leading the way in contemporary design it remained an expensive and exclusive product, loved by many but owned by a lucky few."

Love this!! Absolutely fantastic read and addition to the report. Thank you @Shazbat21