The Stone Hobo

The Stone Hobo Featuring the photography of Another State Of Mind.

BRANCASTER MANOR

Visited in March 2011.
This manor house was built in 1870 and has gone through many changes in ownership, but finally came out of the hands of the family who built it, back in the early 1950's. There were still documents lying around inside from when it was built, through to love letters from the 1930's, home-made wine from the 1950's and newspapers from the 1970's. 

It was a beautiful warm and sunny day, one of the first days this year that truly felt like summer. As I walked past the crumbling old garden walls (complete with for-sale sign) and then on down the mud driveway toward the house, I could see a caravan in the grounds and someone moving around in the garden of another house nearby. Moving round the back of the house revealed a grand but overgrown and crumbling place of beauty and mistique.

Most of the outer buildings and some of the outer wings of the house seemed beyond saving, having long lost their roofs and floors.

 These outer rooms gave a fascinating insight into how life had been here decades ago, and just how big the whole house had been at one point.

Here is how I know the date - from the beautiful little details not spent upon modern buildings:

Further round, the full size of the remains can be appreciated, as well as the feeble attempt to slow down its demise after a cheap roof repair was done in the 1950's.
Slipping down through a hole into the basement looking for a way inside, rarely for me, and perhaps down to the blinding sunlight outside I realised I had forgotten a torch this time. Classic mistake. So, finding myself in pitch blackness, I stood in the thick musty silence of the brick basement waiting for my eyes to adjust. Eventually I could make out a light at the end of a long walkway, with 3 arched doorways on either side leading off into pitch-darkness. Moving down the centre, sliding my feet along slowly incase of any holes or debris to trip over, I could make out some shapes in the rooms off to the left and right, but this route clearly wasn't going to be of any use without light, so I headed back outside.

Moving further around the building, with one eye on the caravan (which on closer inspection appeared empty) and the neighbouring garden, looked for another route inside.

Found it! 
Next time - going inside the house.