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Report - - Witley wonder - surrey - dec 2012- oct 2014 | Other Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Witley wonder - surrey - dec 2012- oct 2014

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soylent green

28DL Regular User
Regular User
This is one of those places that has to be seen to be believed. It truly is a wonder and a great feat of engineering. Its about a 130 years old and is as dry as a bone down there. What strikes you when you get in is that its not as big as you think, but it is something i wont forget. First went here back in 2012 and wanted to go back soon after with my new fisheye lens, but it wasn't to be as not long after i visited it rumors where that it had been locked and alarmed. Fast forward two years and i was told that some pics had surfaced on the internet and it wasn't locked or alarmed, so that very night i headed back with BBA. Only spent a short time in there this time as we were mindful not to upset things as the new house overlooks the lake. I did hear that a load of people went in a few days later and got busted. So i can only imagine that its locked down and will be alarmed now so wouldn't recommend paying this place a visit any time soon. I think people who went in before us put photos on facebook, which i guess alerted the owner:(

HISTORY FROM LOST HERITAGE
It was Whitaker Wright - considered a Midas-like figure in the 1890s - who developed the large house at Witley Park but who also ensured that its name would become infamous. Wright was a colourful character who moved to America in 1866 aged 21 and made a fortune in mining. However he lost it all aged 31, returned to England in 1889 and promptly set to work creating a second fortune. He did this by using his mining knowledge to push a series of Australian and Canadian mining companies on the London market, and by the early 1890s, he was a millionaire again. As befits a man of such wealth he required a country estate - though not too far from London. In 1890 he paid £250,000 (approx. £12m - 2006 value) for the Lea Park estate near Witley and the adjacent South Park Farm estate of the Earl of Derby. This second purchase gave him the ceremonial Lordship of the Manor and also Hindhead Common and the Devil's Punch Bowl.

The combined estate, now called Witley Park, totalled about 1,400 acres and Wright set to work creating both house and grounds he could be proud of - and used much of his fortune to do so, spending nearly £1.15m in total (approx. £56m - 2006 value). Little is known about the original Georgian Lea Park mansion however it was quickly subsumed into a much larger house which cost Wright a further £400,000 (approx. £19.2m - 2006 value). To say the house was well equipped is an understatement. Though it was not all completed by the time of Wright's death - the South Wing with its bedrooms were unfinished - in total, it had 32 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a drawing room, two dining rooms, a library, a theatre, a palm court, an observatory, a velodrome, stabling for fifty horses and even its own private hospital. Inside, statues had been imported from Italy and expensive paintings adorned the walls.

But building a large house wasn't enough for Wright. At a cost of approximately £500,000 (£24m - 2006) he set a small army of 600 labourers to work reshaping the landscape - much to the concern of local residents. Hills which obstructed his views were levelled, others created, a wall encircling all 1,400 acres was built and three artificial lakes were constructed. The lakes boasted a boathouse by Lutyens, an articifial island and, under one, a spectacular underwater billiards room - which still exists to this day.

SOME PICS

A FROSTY MORNING 2012. MANSION UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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IMAGE OF BALLROOM BEFORE IT WAS SUBMERGED
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STAIRWAY IN
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SUN COMING THROUGH
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LAND ENTRANCE
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THE SHOTS I WAITED TWO YEARS TO TAKE
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Amazing place but i believe it is now a no go area which is a real shame.

Thanks to my fellow explorers for some memorable times

Thanks for looking
 

ACID- REFLUX

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Nice ones mate :thumb

It"s certainly a special place, & some of the stuff from here over the years has been quite epic (even the HDR stuff :)
Good old Facebook....gotta love it :)
 

slayaaaa

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
The place is great, hear about it all the time, nice pics. Anyone know the future of the underwater structure?
 

Oxygen Thief

Admin
Staff member
Admin
Had some good times here, thanks for posting.

I never saw that picture of it under construction, that's a nice find.
 

soylent green

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Had some good times here, thanks for posting.

I never saw that picture of it under construction, that's a nice find.

Cheers OT. The image is from a Readers Digest DVD called The Secrets of Underground Britain. Trying to sorce a copy to see what else they say about this masterpiece of British engineering :)
 

Ojay

Admin
Staff member
Admin
Yeah that old pic is ace mate, glad you and BBA got back to see the place also finally :thumb
 

sirjonnyp

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
adders and I were just talking about how this would make a cool party venue. Nice photos.
 

bhg

In Search of Lost Time
Regular User
I'm glad that your venture was successful. Also looking forward to your new reports. You seem to be quite busy in Surrey recently : )
 

REEF

Getthegirlkillthebaddies
28DL Full Member
I'm so sorry I missed this. It was one of those places I thought would always be open so thought no rush :crazy
 

AJ

AJ
28DL Full Member
I've not seen the photograph of it under construction before either, thanks for posting it up.
 
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