Dorton House, formerly known as Wildernesse, is a Grade II listed Georgian mansion house in Seal, Kent, near Sevenoaks; until 2013 it was used as the headquarters for the Royal London Society for the Blind (RLSB) a nd as housing for the blind and partially sighted children who attended its school. Dorton House is over 300 years old, although nothing remains of the original house which was built by Sir Charles Bickerstaffe in 1669. In the mid 18th century, the southern end of the present house was built and fifty years later, the house was enlarged. In 1884, the house was bought by Charles Henry Mills of Hillingdon who later became Baron Hillingdon. The house was enlarged again and an immense amount of work was carried out. Baron Hillingdon built his own gasworks as well as a laundry and an orphanage from where he employed many of his staff. In 1923, Wildernesse was sold to a syndicate, becoming a Country Club and Golf Course which had, as an early brochure states, “probably the most palatial nineteenth hole in England”. After use as a sector hospital during the Second World War, Wildernesse continued as a Country Club until 1954 when it was sold to the RLSB and became known as Dorton House On the Dorton campus the RLSB ran its Nursery and Dorton College as well as a support service for the families of visually impaired children. The RLSB closed Dorton House School in 2013. Went here 4 months after it had closed unfortunatly could only access a couple of outlaying buildings would of loved to seen inside the main school building as i imagine it would have been very grand and ornate . I found this proposed residential developement for Dorton House dated October 2014 Consideration is being given by PegasusLife Developments to the redevelopment of the site formerly known as Dorton House, near Sevenoaks, Kent. The proposed development is to be called Wildernesse House and comprises the refurbishment and conversion of Dorton House School, formerly run by the Royal London School for the Blind. Dorton House will be converted and refurbished to serviced retirement apartments including a new single storey restaurant extension. The more modern school buildings and detached staff houses to the south of Dorton House are to be demolished and replaced by five new separate three storey residential blocks. . Went here 4 months after it had closed unfortunatly could only access a couple of outlaying buildings would of loved to seen inside the main school building as i imagine it would have been very grand and ornate .Visited with stealth
