WIP · World in Pocket

Balcombe Place

Balcombe, GB

Balcombe Place

Balcombe Place is a Grade II* listed building, built in 1856 in Balcombe, West Sussex, England, with a south view across the Ouse Valley. It now forms part of The Balcombe Estate. The architect was Henry Clutton. It was built for John Alexander Hankey, whose family had been living at Naylands, a hou

se about 1 mile away. The Gentleman's Magazine in 1864 refers to a meeting where "members adjourned to Balcombe Place, a residence recently erected by John Alexander Hankey, Esq., who hospitably entertained them". The main living area was connected to the servants' areas, a rear courtyard and stables. A photograph in 1897 shows a tall, large glass and wood conservatory on the east side. By the 1960s, that structure had fallen into disrepair and had either been demolished on purpose, or had simply fallen down. Images in 2013 suggested it was overgrown, but still protected by walls on each side, and probably still growing plants from earlier plantings. Descriptions refer to the Denmans 'lawn tennis' courts, but their location is unclear. No courts are shown in the 1910 Ordnance Survey (OS) map, a (hard) court existed in the 1960s and appears in the 1974 OS map. Early maps show wooded areas...

Listen to the audio guide for Balcombe Place Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

Nearby