In  1853 an old Elizabethan mansion together with the surrounding grounds was bought by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Loyd, a wealthy banker from Manchester. Eventually his bank,  Jones Loyd & Co, became what is now the Nat West. By 1876 Loyd had also become the High Sheriff of Kent. This influential figure is said to have dined out the Kaiser of Germany on his steam powered yacht "Daydream". Loyd set about creating his perfect home by demolishing the original house and building in it's place a Gothic Victorian mansion.  He also made several major improvements to the estate including the damming of the Kent Ditch stream to create ornamental lakes, the building of a gas works, an ice house, a modern water supply and a tower. By 1862 he had added a conservatory on to the south side of the house and planted ornamental gardens on adjacent farm land he had also acquired. Colonel Loyd died in 1890 followed ten years later by his wife, leaving the estate, which by now covered 199 hectares, to their youngest son Llewellyn. Just 14 years later the First World War broke out and the house was requisitioned to be used as a hospital for Belgian refugees and wounded soldiers. Soon after the war, in 1922, the estate was broken up and the house, together with approximately 10 hectares of the park, was bought by Saint Wilfred’s Boys Preparatory School. The boy's school remained at the house until 1936 when it was offered for sale, described as ‘most suitable for a large institution, boys’ or girls’ school, hotel, convent or private residence’ with ‘beautiful gardens and grounds’ (taken from the Sales Particulars of that time). Yet another change of name followed and it became Saint Cuthbert’s Girls School. But the school's residency was short lived for only four years later in 1940 the War Office took over the site to use as a hospital yet again. When the Second World War ended the buildings were handed back but they were in such an appalling state much work had to be done to restore a semblance of order. But despite the problems everything was soon back to normal and they took the opportunity to expand further still. And with the expansion came yet another name change, this time to "Lillesden Girls School". Lillesden did well over the years and continued to expand, buying up nearby properties including Hall House, Collingwood House and Malt House. In 1975 the school merged with Bedgebury Park, Goudhurst and Hollington Park Schools and was renamed yet again, this time as Bedgebury Lower School. But in 1998 the end came for the Lillesden site. The school at that time was very popular with the pupils so it was with great sadness that everything moved over to nearby Bedgebury. A Lillesden appreciation page has been created on the Facebook web site where there are some great photos of Lillesden when it was still an active school. If you click on the above right photograph (author unknown sadly), which was taken from the site, you should access the Lillesden Facebook pages in another window... Following the school closure, Lillesden House and the immediate grounds were sold to a consortium of private investors but all the other buildings including the lodge, stable block, kitchen garden and water tower were sold separately. In 2009 a planning application was submitted for 'change of use and alteration' to create 14 residential apartments within the house, and 4 detached and 6 terraced houses in the grounds. Despite the lengthy period since planning was agreed nothing appears to have been done on the site at the time of our visit (August 2011) and the house is in an advanced state of decay. Inevitably pykeys have stolen much of the lead from the roofs and water penetration has rotted many of the upper floor rooms, but at some point remedial action has been carried out and now an unsightly scaffolding canopy spans the worst affected area of the roof. The gym hall, constructed as it was from wood,  is in a severe state of dilapidation now and almost half of the building has collapsed leaving everything but the stage open to the elements. The swimming pool building has gone completely leaving an open air pool full of stagnant, green water and there are no signs of their ever having been a building there in the first place. A large, pre-fabricated classroom block opposite the house is going rapidly the same way and although the chemistry classroom is still OK the adjacent room has begun to be colonised by a rather fetching ivy which covers most of one wall. The decay within the house proper has rendered some areas extremely hazardous with gaping holes appearing in the upper room floors; indeed putting one foot in front of the other can prove rather "crunchy" in many areas of the building. It is reported, though not confirmed, that an urb-exer recently fell through a floor and was killed. I strongly suspect though that this is no more than a story concocted by the two security guards who roam around infrequently with a large dog in tow acting out the classic Mr. Nice and Mr. Nasty routine whenever they happen to come across a careless explorer! That said I had a rather odd experience when we first entered the building, perhaps it was the ghost of the urb-exer trying to make contact so that he or she could compare camera settings - that or the infinitely more common "jitters upon arrival" syndrome! I read on a Lillesden old girls forum somewhere that television presenter Sarah-Jane Woodall (right), better known as "Trinny", is a former Lillesden girl. At £4,300 a term Lillesden was not a cheap education option but apparently there were seldom any free places at the school. To their great credit examination results were very good with the majority of pupils achieving the highest grades, all the more surprising in view of the fact that the school did not limit it's intake to bright stars and flyers - they had a good reputation for teaching dyslexic and even dyspraxic girls too.   Below is a selection of the photographs we took in and around the school. If you wish to view any in a much larger size then click the picture of your choice...   The approach to the mansion from the road...   The front door...   Bars at the windows give a slightly sinister feel from the outside but appearances are deceptive... The Lillesden crest above the front door... Delightful attention to detail... And again on the opposite side of the porch...     The back of the house as seen from the bottom of the garden steps... Around the side in the courtyard to where we gained entry, the covered way with it's ornate windows.. Very overgrown now...       Graffiti on the building exterior - why??? To the right of the main building is the assembly hall... The school badge in the assembly hall... I think this part of the extension was the dining hall and kitchens...   It was just here I got a right old scare 'cos I could have sworn somebody walked past the doorway but there wasn't a soul in sight! I hate it when my bonce plays tricks on me. Tonto saw nothing! The boarding up is very half hearted so the interior is getting very chavved up. It needs securing properly.   Most of the ground floor is still relatively dry...   Darkly mysterious stair cases... gotta love 'em!   Gorgeous floor tiles in the covered way. They would look super polished back up again!     This is a lovely, light room... Shame about the ventilation though... Gotta love 'leaded windows like this! Looking out to the covered way...   The weirdest fireplace ever with one chimney but alcoves either side...   It was not immediately obvious what this graffiti was meant to be until I stood back. Then I realised it was actually very artistic and rather clever. The entire picture is made up with dots of just two different colours. I hate graffiti normally but you have to admire this artist's skill... Out to the covered way...   This graf is rather pertinent in view of the fact that this was a girl's school?   This graffiti kind of sums up Lillesden because the whole place has a lovely atmosphere despite the dereliction... One of the better staircases, this one was a lot less "crunchy" underfoot! Do the partition and the half wall mean this was the tuck shop? The cellar steps... The bar within what appears to have been a disco... Lots of cubicles... but then it was a girl's school! It looks like the disco dance floor was in a second cellar room where this appears to have been the fire exit... Beyond the disco this corridor leads off to the plant rooms etc. Fuel oil tanks. If these are like the ones we used to have then the whole building would reek during filling! The wine cellar. Clearly dining at Lillesden could be rather posh! The boiler room...   Says it all really!   I suspect these were fitted late in the school's history as they are in very good condition... The ubiquitous school bell!   A toilet cistern half in one room and half in another,  there's nothing beats a good bodge! The associated loo!   Gorgeous cast iron door ventilation in the far end of the cellar corridor... A blocked off stair well leads up to the outside of the building. Is this part of the heating system? A rather well worn garden fork!   I wonder if this room was the sick bay?   Bad dolly! Go straight to jail, do not pass go, do not collect £200... Back on the ground floor again in the "Blue Room". We wondered if this was a dance class room... We could just picture the girls doing barre exercises in front of the mirror. Shame some saddo had to smash it... This hall at the back of the building is where the main staircase goes up to the the famous "Golden Landing"... Ornamental stones from part of the column which is propped up now with an acro - see the previous photo... The inscription on the other side of the same column stone... The gardens seen from the hall at the rear of the building... I know I keep saying this but Tonto and I are not in favour of graffiti no matter how colourful... ...but again at Lillesden this is yet another example of how clever and artistic it can sometimes be... The best evidence yet that Goofy was actually a sinister schizophrenic sociopath? A folding door separates the hall and the "Blue Room" but behind the doors it is bricked up! A huge mirror faces the staircase at the head of the Golden Landing... Apparently this was still in a magnificent state until really quite recently... Above the mirror two large windows flood the landing with natural light. To the left a second staircase leads off to dormitory wings... A huge, ornate dome sits on top of the landing and  admits even more natural light. The result is spectacular, even on a relatively dull day... Looking out onto the gardens from a dormitory window...   An expression of female teenage desire or just another  chav's phallic calling card? No contest, the answer is obvious sadly... The gymnasium, seen here through a dormitory window, is built mainly from wood and is in an advanced state of decay... They sure knew how to create magnificent architecture during the Victorian period - Lillesden really is the most amazing gothic red brick pile! And today children, we will look through the round window... This dormitory looks out across the covered way roof to the side gardens by the assembly hall... Although it is on the same landing as several dormitories this appears to be a class room... The front courtyard opens out immediately on to the B2244 Hastings Road...   Almost all of the larger dorms have 3 sinks, sometimes within in the room itself, but sometimes in a side room created by partitioning... CLICK THIS PHOTO TO VIEW AN INTERACTIVE PANORAMA OF THE ROOM... A narrow staircase goes up to the second floor. I suspect this also leads to the clock tower which we did not find...   A top floor dormitory... The pre-fab classroom block opposite the covered way... *sighs... is this sh*te really necessary? The view through a second floor window down through the picture windows on to the Golden Landing... A huge steel trunk. I can't see this having belonged to a pupil because it would take four people to move it! The pretty colour comes from light reflected off ivy growing up the walls and over the covered way roof... The main entrance drive up to the front doors passes an ancient tree... Fire escape...   The assembly hall (right) is built on to the right hand end of the Hastings Road elevation of the house... The clock tower can be seen from the picture windows above the Golden Landing. The scaffolding "umbrella" covers the roof here... Pigeons, perched outside thankfully. There's very little pigeon cr*p within Lillesden, unlike at other derelict sites we have visited... We are beyond the door with the two round "port holes" now...   The fallen door covers a rather nasty piece of crunchy floor and a huge drop! Back on the ground floor in the hall just behind the front entrance now... The entrance to the dilapidated gymnasium at the side of the main building...     A stage takes up the whole of one wall of the gym building... ...where scenery is still in position from the school's last production... Decay back stage...   Only frogs swim lengths here now. The building which covered the pool has been cleared and no trace remains... Lane marker bouys...   Inside the pre-fab class room block, the floors are very dodgy... And today's lesson is...? The pupils are long gone... ...but some names live on... It would be nice if these former Lillesden Girls could see these photos and comment up on what's what! The graffiti compliments nature's reclamation of the class room... The fountain and pond are almost lost amongst the wildly overgrown gardens... Lillesden's scaffolding umbrella! ...and finally... Navigate back to the main urb-ex index page...