Visited with James.
It took a bit of googling but we found it eventually and rocked up outside this ramshackled place in Crowborough. It really doesn't look like much from the outside but once you're in the building, you can see it's packed full of stuff so old, it's amazing it hasn't crumbled away. It seems the only things that have caused the decline of this estate are plants and pigeons!
I know very little of the history of this place but from scrabbling around in the attic, we found and read all the articles we could find to track down what sort of people lived here.
James Walford was in the shipbuilding business but was also a keen painter, potter and gardener specialising in orchids (of course). There's artwork lying around everywhere and evidence of the sort of lives they led tucked away here in Sussex.
He published his own book of his orchid drawings and had exhibitions of his pottery in some pretty top London galleries. I found a tiny cut out article from the newspaper telling of how a member of the Walford family died in a tragic boating accident. I don't think this was their child because the name didn't tally up.
There are so few modern things in this house, it looks as if it hasn't been lived in for about 40 years. Did Mr. and Mrs Walford die in a care home leaving this enormous estate? The house and grounds are currently on the market for £3 million. I'm guessing the renovation would cost a pretty penny in itself.
Here are the photos:
It took a bit of googling but we found it eventually and rocked up outside this ramshackled place in Crowborough. It really doesn't look like much from the outside but once you're in the building, you can see it's packed full of stuff so old, it's amazing it hasn't crumbled away. It seems the only things that have caused the decline of this estate are plants and pigeons!
I know very little of the history of this place but from scrabbling around in the attic, we found and read all the articles we could find to track down what sort of people lived here.
James Walford was in the shipbuilding business but was also a keen painter, potter and gardener specialising in orchids (of course). There's artwork lying around everywhere and evidence of the sort of lives they led tucked away here in Sussex.
He published his own book of his orchid drawings and had exhibitions of his pottery in some pretty top London galleries. I found a tiny cut out article from the newspaper telling of how a member of the Walford family died in a tragic boating accident. I don't think this was their child because the name didn't tally up.
There are so few modern things in this house, it looks as if it hasn't been lived in for about 40 years. Did Mr. and Mrs Walford die in a care home leaving this enormous estate? The house and grounds are currently on the market for £3 million. I'm guessing the renovation would cost a pretty penny in itself.
Here are the photos:
