This was the first port of call on my London daytrip, a site that I'd only seen reported once earlier this year and instantly wanted to see, despite it being totally and utterly fooked, and described back in April as treacherous. The report wasn't wrong, this one was cut short by almost pitch-black rooms with death trap floors of truly epic proportions and a small run in with some builders. It's a fantastic looking place though.
Here's some history:
Pics (not too many because of the state of the place and the shortness of our visit):
Few more pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/mookie427/sets/72157625411896126/
Thanks for looking!
Here's some history:
Twyford Abbey started life in middle ages as the West Twyford manor house. It belonged to the lords of the manor of West Twyford who owned the surrounding land. By 1593 it was the only inhabited house in West Twyford, with a small private chapel.
West Twyford manor house was partially demolished around 1715 and the chapel rebuilt around that time.
In 1806 the manor house was sold to Thomas Willan, a stagecoarch proprietor. He wanted to turn the house into a 'Gothic' mansion. Architect William Atkinson designed an extension around the original house in a Gothic style, filled the genuine medieval moat and altered the church.
In keeping with the spirit of the age Willan gave his house a romantic pseudo-monastic association, calling it 'Twyford Abbey'. In 1816 Twyford Abbey was described as 'striking and extremely fine'.
This was the only building in the area, and soon the name Twyford Abbey was applied to the whole of West Twyford.
In 1902 the Abbey was bought by the Alexian Brothers, a Roman Catholic order who set up a nursing home there. St. Mary's church, disused at the time, was re-opened for weekly services in 1907.
The Alexian Brothers enlarged and changed the house several times.
The nursing home closed in 1988 and as a result the Abbey now appears to be neglected.
Pics (not too many because of the state of the place and the shortness of our visit):
Few more pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/mookie427/sets/72157625411896126/
Thanks for looking!