Second location....on my first day of exploring....

[Miss.Anthrope]

The baby castle....Second location....on my first day of exploring....

Hi guys, another explore.....

story is.....we were heading to hawkhurst to the Lillsdon school for girls...

driving down the road, i say there it is that looks like it (how many huge derelict places can there be in a tiny village)....

photoshoot over....get home....get history....and its somehwere completely different....i should have taken note of the huge pointy building i was sposed to be looking for!!! argh!

so if anyone knows what it is please tell us!


DSCF2385 by chelseahughes13, on Flickr


DSCF2384 by chelseahughes13, on Flickr


DSCF2381 by chelseahughes13, on Flickr


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DSCF2373 by chelseahughes13, on Flickr


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DSCF2443 by chelseahughes13, on Flickr


DSCF2441 by chelseahughes13, on Flickr


DSCF2440 by chelseahughes13, on Flickr


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DSCF2431 by chelseahughes13, on Flickr


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DSCF2419 by chelseahughes13, on Flickr


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DSCF2393 by chelseahughes13, on Flickr

Thanks for looking....

 

[Miss.Anthrope]

Babies Castle:


The Babies Castle was officially opened on 9th August 1886 this institution was for the reception of babies. In 1908 Babies Castle became a mixed home for children under eight years of age. It was particularly used for babies and young children who, owing to their physical condition, were not suited for boarding out.

On the 21st September 1927 the new extension that had been built was officially opened.

Babies Castle closed, in 1965. It has now been re-named, appropriately enough, 'Hawkhurst Castle', after the nearby village of the same name and operates as a private nursing home for the elderly, under the direction of Kent County Council. The two houses which formed the original Babies Castle were, at a later date, to become the Matron's House. They were used as administrative offices for the nursing home next door.

Tthe property has been sold for £1.7 million for a site area of approximately 2.03 acres (0.82 hectares).

Planning Consent has been given for the principal building (known locally as “Babies” Castle) for conversion to provide a total of 11 residential units, 9 being converted from the existing building, and a further 2 in the form of a new build extension. In addition there is consent for a further 5 new build properties in the grounds, comprising 2 no. 3-bedroom semi detached houses, 2 no. 4/5 bedroom detached houses and 1 no. 3-bedroom bungalow. As of today nothing has happened to the old building!!!!

 

[prettyvacant71]

Love the mossy boot!

 

[Priority 7]

Nice work had this on the radar for a while just never got round to it..

 

[UE-OMJ]

Thats a nice building, and good bit of history to go with it.

 

[flyboys90]

Lovely building,great report.

 

[PaulPowers]

Nice report, can you add the location in the report title please it just makes it easier to see what it is before opening the report.

 

[Urban Ghost]

Nice pics, looks an interesting place.

 

[TeeJF]

Babies Castle - the Barnados Home. Latterly it became an old people's home. In the outbuildings there we found a wedge of sensitive documents including a death certificate.

Did you try the food in the pub across the road? Simply sublime!

 

[Miss.Anthrope]

it looked lovely and ii was thinking about going to the pub after....but we had to mission on, or we wouldnt have left the pub... :0

 

[TeeJF]

Ha ha, yeah! I made the opposite mistake... we'd already done Lillesden by lunch time so we repaired to THAT pub to have lunch and a glass. Two "glasses" later plus an armagnac and suddenly balancing on the 1st floor beams in the baby's castle trying to negotiate a corridor rotten from years of water ingress in the dark seemed interesting in the extreme! (NOT)...

 

[Miss.Anthrope]

haha, lucky you got into the main building to have a wobble about, it was completely sealed off, there was a tiny gap that i could fit my hand in to get my camera through so i took a picture and saw there was little/no floor upstairs poor building...

 

[Sshhhh...]

What a fantastic building, so grand! Thanks for sharing