Ornate woodwork on the staircase at Silverlands Orphanage, Chertsey, Surrey, UK
Silverlands Orphanage in Chertsey, Surrey. Originally built as a private house and owned by local brewer Robert Porter from Chertsey and then rebuilt by its second owner Vice Admiral Sir Henry Hotham. The third owner, Sir John Brunner extended the three storey home and was believed to have added the Neo-Georgian panelled entrance lobby and library. In 1938 it became the Actors Orphanage. It had the backing from the likes of Noel Coward and Laurence Olivier and in its day was able to house 60 children from destitute actors and actresses. After the second world war the orphanage returned to normal with the evacuated children returning from New York, America. A nursing school was also established at the site to train staff for nearby St Peters hospital. Spiraling costs to maintain the property was the downfall of the orphanage which closed in 1958. The nursing school carried on until the 1990s. A twisted irony lay in wait as the latter part of the decade saw a controversial issue proposed by the Ministry of Justice who announced plans to make a new use for the site by creating a clinic for paedophiles and sex offenders. Staunch opposition by the local people overturned the decision. A series of vigils by candle light were held and the plans were shelved in 2002. Since then the Grade II listed building has fallen into disrepair with nature reclaiming the property. Ornate and once grand rooms are now covered in mould. The building has become a magnet for Urban Explorers, site seers, the curious along with the criminal element alike. Rapidly deteriorating the site is now at major risk and will need a fortune spending to bring it back to its former glory. Decay has created a sombre and eerie feel to the now silent Silverlands.
Size: 7360px × 4912px
Location: Chertsey, Surrey, UK
Photo credit: © Simon Webster / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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