History
Former Mansion of Bryan Forbes and Nanette Newman. It is currently estimated to be worth £2.5m although other reports seem to have found different estimations. It was purchased in 1955 for £7,000 by Newman and it quickly became a cherished family home. Newman has spoken openly about how difficult it was to leave the mansion and all the memories behind after Forbes’ death in 2013. She is now thought to be living in New York to be closer to her children. Unfortunately, the property and its 10 acres of land were purchased by a demolition company sometimes in 2018 although it is uncertain when the demolition is going to take place.
The Explore
It was surprisingly overwhelming to photograph such vastly empty rooms so I hope I’ve at least done it some justice. It’s quite a big property with many rooms to explore. Bonus points if you found the secret door . It’s sad to see such a beautiful and unusual building become a shell of its former self. The vast amount of space gave it quite an eerie and isolated feel. The minimalist design and the empty walls didn’t leave much to the imagination, but it is clear that Forbes and Newman took great pride in looking after the house.
I visited at the end of May and was undisturbed although two security vans wizzed past as we got to the end of the street. I know people who have been there recently and not be able to gain access. It seems it’s now boarded up. I’m not surprised as most of the neighbours have CCTV cameras watching the street. It would be really difficult to get into this place and not be caught on any cameras.
The outside of the building is a very unusual shape, but I suppose that’s part of the attraction of this place. There’s about 10 acres of land and plenty of things to explore on the outside too. I can imagine spending long summers here just strolling through the garden and around the pond. Apparently Newman had to borrow the £7,000 to buy Seven Pines in the 50s. It reportedly took most of their earnings for years to come. Imagine the kind of house this had to be for somebody to dedicate so much time and money to. I wish I could have seen what it was like through their eyes.
I followed up this explore by going back to Luddington House. Unfortunately, there is somebody now living there. He chased us off the property with a chainsaw in one hand. Hopefully Luddington can be resorted back to its former glory. I was actually asked for the location of Luddington by some random guy who found my report and found my Instagram. He didn’t have any pictures of explores, just selfies and photos of his modified car. From what he said, I assume he wanted to do some sort of rave or smash the place up. Just be wary that posting locations and access details means more morons will be able to find these places and smash them up. Real explorers will be able to find it on their own
Anyway, here are the photos.
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