Lillesden Girls School - Oct 2010

[Priority 7]

This is Lillesden School for Girls in Kent. Originally a private residence built in 1855 by the banker Edward Lloyd, it was sold after The Great War and turned into Bedgebury Girls Public School where it played host to myriad games of pattycake and hopscotch until finally closing in 1999 and reopening seconds later as a joyous little deathtrap for explorers like Mookster and Myself.

I hope you enjoy and thanks mookster for the company around eerie lillesden School

 

[nij4829]

Nice report and some good pics.

You got the grim looking very grim. Glad there is some colour in the building

 

[mookster]

It really is a deathtrap in there, the place is in imminent danger of serious internal collapse if nothing is done, doubtful that it'll survive the winter like this. Real shame as it's a fantastic building, me and Martyn were discussing what we'd do to the place if we won the lottery on the way back!

My report will be up soon, we both took very different shots.

 

[Priority 7]

Nice report and some good pics.

You got the grim looking very grim. Glad there is some colour in the building

Grim is an understatement bud...I reckon after christmas it will have fallen in on itself. The ceiling are literally falling down one staircase is totally deadly and unusable and parts of the outside are now inside...The hallway shot with the door open was taken on a long shutter release and it still looks darkish

 

[nij4829]

It really is a deathtrap in there, the place is in imminent danger of serious internal collapse if nothing is done, doubtful that it'll survive the winter like this. Real shame as it's a fantastic building, me and Martyn were discussing what we'd do to the place if we won the lottery on the way back!

My report will be up soon, we both took very different shots.

Glad to hear it, I am really impressed by the building and only wish I was closer and had the time.

Its always a massive heartache of mine, when a building is left to just fall down and then some contractor builds a horrid looking, cheapo building just around the corner. Yeah these beautiful old buildings would probably cost more to renovate and re-fit, but the councils should put their feet down. Its like the Ormerod clinic in Tod - chances are its gonna be pulled down and made in to a Netto along with the cinema next door to it Surley the cinema would be big enough for a netto and the rear of the clinic and the cinemas car park would make a huge car park.

*sorry for ranting*

 

[Priority 7]

Keep the shell, strip the inside keeping anything that is vaguely salvageable (The pillar heads for sure, staircase mirror etc). Then knock down the prefab outhouses, create an enclosed courtyard garden. Salvage the outdoor greenhouse and create a small indoor garden in there (The fern looks great I want to salvage it lol) then redesign the indoor to make it habitable but still retain features/feel as best as possible. But the only way to truly save it is to return to a shell and no floors then refurb that way, new roof (keep the skylight) Turn the tunnel into a basement (Its way too freaky as a tunnel)
I have so many ideas just no money to do it lol