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Report - - Bedgebury Public Girls School, Kent, Sept 2010 | Other Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Bedgebury Public Girls School, Kent, Sept 2010

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layz

Conquistador d'Wolverton
28DL Full Member
Hey Guys,

This was site number 5 on our South-east road trip last week, visited with 2 mystery explorers, Big-Dicky21 and Essex rude-boy AndrewB.


The Explore

I thoroughly enjoyed this place, in fact for me it’s one of the more enjoyable places I’ve experienced. I particularly enjoyed the ivy encrusted conservatory which was wrapped around the ground floor. The lightness of the space belied is dereliction and state of decay; the foliage over the windows made for a truly secluded and magical place for reflection and relaxation.
The next highlight was the grand staircase, adorned with molded plaster, lined with mirrors and crowned with a magnificent cupola. It certainly must have been a grand house.


History

Lillesden Estate Manor was built in 1855 for the banker Edward Loyd who co-founded the Loyd Entwisle & Co bank, which later became the District Bank and ultimately the National Westminster (Natwest). Funny how another Lloyd’s name also continues today as a bank.

After the Great War the house and it’s estate was sold and became Bedgebury Public Girls School. The school sadly closed in 1999 due to a number of issues, mainly falling pupil numbers, low demand for all-girls schools and a merger that ‘went wrong’. The TV fashion guru Trinny Woodall was one of the more famous alumni, and the school did boast high standards at £4,300 per term. The closure seems to have shocked parents and pupils alike, as grades were at an all time high and bankruptcy was not an issue.

The school was a grade II listed French-style chateau, set in 200 acres of Kentish gardens and forests, with ponies stabled in the grounds, a dreamland for children. It was, as one child said, ‘too perfect to last’.”
The following is a quote from the Times:
“My daughter has been crying — nothing unusual about that I suppose. She is 15, and girls do cry — when they’ve argued with a friend, not been invited to a party, or failed to get the mark they wanted in exams. But actually, it’s none of those things. The reason is that the school Charlotte has been a day girl at for the last four years is closing. “Why, I don’t understand . . . we love it here, why should we have to leave?” was all she and her friends could say.“




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The magical conservatory:
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Regards,
 
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