Report - Northdene - Beckenham - June 2021

[Barneylad06]

Unfortunately a few weeks before I visited, this place suffered an arson attack.
Anyways, it was nice to see the Victorian villa.

History:

Left derelict for about a decade, the house was first in use in 1934 and one of the flats was in constant use since 1950s. Many planning applications to try and redevelop the property was refused, and it just lays here now, unused.

Trip: Took a train to Beckenham Junction, walked for about 30 minutes to the park. Climbed a fence and took some photos.

photos;

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[zombizza]

Any internals?

 

[Barneylad06]

Any internals?

Unfortunately not, due to it being dangerous as there was a fire and a risk of collapsing. Sorry!

 

[munhunter]

This was the house in 2016. I know the owner.

I got the bath and the good salvage, with permission.

 

[Andrew32]

This was the house in 2016. I know the owner.

I got the bath and the good salvage, with permission

Those photos were great, glad you were able to get what you could, any known reason why it got to being derelict so quickly? If that was just 2016 it's almost like they up and left one day, no maintainance at all.

 

[zombizza]

I got the bath and the good salvage, with permission.

since the fires?

 

[ScoutZz]

Hey there, I plan to visit here with my friends and I have found the location, therefore I will not ask for the location but will ask
what direction did you get in? the front of the house? (facing the road)
or the back of the house (facing the park)
Also is there any way to get into the house itself? me and my friends are dire to get in!

Cheers!

 

[munhunter]

yes, the gentleman who owned it is Cypriot, and bought the freehold in the 1980s when he was a leaseholder of one of the flats- he then waited for the leases to expire until he owned the whole thing.

He sold in 2017 to a developer (who I work for) who tried and failed to get planning for development. There began the demolition by neglect, as the plot is 1.25 acres in south London- 125 flats are planned.

when the place didn’t fall down or degrade more quickly, the developer became frustrated and allowed contractors to Begin removing lead and salvage.

Now I’m not accusing anybody of arson, but the fire that took the place down was a a well planned fire- it started in the basement which was mostly dry, and in multiple places to capitalise on the fuel load that was the pitch pine floor joists.

the clearance of the surrounding land and one previous failed fire makes me pretty suspicious.

I was given permission to remove any and all salvage in March, and Myself and another builder took doors, stained glass, parquet flooring, and other items that are now installed in other large houses in SW London.

the bath was saved after the first fire.

in mitigation, the house was badly designed and gloomy, hard to heat and lacking any sense of proportion. It was one of three remaining late Victorian villas surrounding Beckenham Park Place, and one other is also at risk having been the clubhouse for the golf course.

Bowie lived on the road in The Cedars, demolished in good nick in 1987, which was also flats.

North Deane was worth about 100k in salvage, which is upsetting, but money talks and in 2 years there will be no trace of the grand but flawed house.

 

[Barneylad06]

Hey there, I plan to visit here with my friends and I have found the location, therefore I will not ask for the location but will ask
what direction did you get in? the front of the house? (facing the road)
or the back of the house (facing the park)
Also is there any way to get into the house itself? me and my friends are dire to get in!

Cheers!

Hi, we entered from the back of the house (by the park). We climbed a fence and ran so we wouldn’t get seen. I’m sure you can enter the house itself but I believe the house is quite unstable and a risk of collapsing. But you can try.

 

[RXQueen]

This was the house in 2016. I know the owner.

I got the bath and the good salvage, with permission.View attachment 913002
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wonderful. Did you manage to rescue any of the photos that were in the loft? I tried a local historian but they weren’t interested then the fire happened. Can I share your internal pics on my Facebook with credit?

@Chloe Explores look at this