Overstone Hall Northampton March 2011

Its ten years now since a devastating fire tore through Overstone Hall destroying more than 60% of this grade II listed building. Still owned by the New Testament Church of God, this once 119 room pile was purchased in 1980 following its closure as Overstone School For Girls. The building has now been placed on English Heritages’ Buildings at risk register, it's on the market with a guide price of one million

Ok, but consider it’s a listed building and any sale would surely require the buyer to restore the building to its former glory at an estimated cost of 4 to 6 million?

Amazingly approximately 40% of the building did survive the fire and is currently housing several homeless men under the watchful eye of a member of the church.

I visited the hall in 1999 as an electrical apprentice with a local company, regrettably I didn’t see the lost grand staircase or the library, but what I did see; I can tell you the few pictures found on Google don’t do it justice.

Hope is someone with a very deep pocket will step in soon before it completely collapses.



















































Thanks for looking

Nice one Chris, I like this, stunning first report here!!!

It's firmly on my list of places for when we are next up your way

Neil

Well,Well Chris
Welcome and well done
I think the building is lovley mate.
great report.


SK / Neil

Excellent first report! I've not seen this place before! Keep it up!

Stunning building, what a waste

Great report & good photos.

This looks a good explore just a shame it is in this state.

Thanks for sharing

Wow wow wow - this place is onmy list as well. Great report and first class pics

Fabulous building. Nice find and report, Chris...and welcome to DP too.

overstone

fantastic report chris, it was a brill day i just wish i could go in with you guys. im looking forward to you putting last weekends trip up.

kathyms said:

fantastic report chris, it was a brill day i just wish i could go in with you guys. im looking forward to you putting last weekends trip up.

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Thanks Kath,
Your research on this one was invaluable; I’ve known about the hall for years, I didn’t expect to find it accessible!


Thank you all for the kind comments, the photos are more luck than judgment, but I’m learning!:week:

On a more serious note;

I’m sure your all seasoned explorers so please don’t savage me for adding this, but this building is in a bad way these days. There is evidence of freshly fallen stone all around the site, plus the big water tank still in situ in what remains of the roof space creaking and swaying around in the breeze! :shocked:

Ok, we didn’t see anything fall the day we visited but after testing the weight of one recently fallen block you really wouldn’t want to be under it when it went! :no:

Add to that the fact that the small surviving part is inhabited by several homeless guys who for this reason have long been told they have to go, this is still their home. Please be careful and respectful should you visit.

Nicely said Chris.

I personally have my own way of testing floors, I get Skeleton Key to go in first

I never cease to be amazed at how many "grand" buildings there are throughout the country, sadly so many have fallen into such disrepair. Thanks to all of you who go out and photograph them for posterity. I always enjoy looking at posts and your individual takes on photographing them.

That place looks great, and its near to me !
Great shots, thanks for posting !
I'll have to go for a look soon if i get chance

nevertoolate said:

That place looks great, and its near to me !
Great shots, thanks for posting !
I'll have to go for a look soon if i get chance

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Thanks,

Yeah; it’s well worth a visit, as long as your carful don’t stray into the occupied part oliceman:

Having said that, Kathyms visited twice to see if it was accessible and got talking to the guy who still looks after the place. She got loads of history even meeting one of the homeless guys who insisted she took his photograph while he did his gardening, he said he wanted to be on the internet bless him

If you Google “Overstone School for Girls” there’s a web site dedicated to it, but I couldn’t find much history about its time in the hands of the church. When I visited in ’99ish about a year or so before the fire there were quite a few very elderly priests and nuns in there, so I’m guessing that’s how they financed its upkeep, it must have cost a fortune to run :swoon:

Nice report mate, i'm new to the site and i've been searching for places to go to get me started, this place is definitely worth a look!
I read your advice though about the structure so i'll keep that in mind.

WOW absolutly fantastic but at the same time so very sad that its
come to this. It would be a building on my list to renovate if the magic numbers came up.....

My grandma went to this school, although I live many miles from home right now, next time I am there I can scan in some of the pictures to share, with that wonderful staircase.
It is the most amazing building, such a shame to have such an ambitious price tag for the place, as the only people able to buy at such a price will be the luxury hotel and country club gang, and whilst they do a good job, it is always behind closed doors.
R