Another place from way back in my archives, I'm not quite sure why this one never got posted but there we are especially as it was by far my most in depth and rewarding visit to one of the best local explores that I've ever had.
I visited Great Tew Manor a few times, the first being in July 2010 when it had popped up on the radar just a couple of days beforehand. Back in those days codenames were still allowed on this forum and so as soon as it appeared on here I was straight on the hunt as I knew it was local, or in my home county at least and these things crop up few and far between. After a day or so I had tracked it down and so went off to investigate, and that first visit was pretty memorable in itself as we had to wait out estate workers coming into the ground floor of the house to remove some stuff from one of the rooms, as well as people removing stuff from a container tucked down the side of the house as well. I presumably went back in 2011 as I had my new camera and wanted to re-shoot it, and I went back in 2013 as well to shoot it with my wide angle which was my last visit there. Great Tew was strange because every visit would see different areas of the building locked up and other new ones opened up, it always felt like you'd see something new every time you went with previously inaccessible areas opened up. I think my visit in 2011 caught it at the perfect time because almost the entire house was accessible for once.
Great Tew has had a manor house in some form since the year 990, and its gone through various styles and owners through the centuries until you get to the current building. By 1793 the estate was owned by George Stratton who had made his fortunes with the East India Company. He died in March 1800 and ownership passed to his son George Frederick Stratton, and the family lived in a smaller dower house to the south of the manor as it had fallen into disrepair, and it was later demolished in 1803. In 1815 Matthew Robinson Boulton, son of the manufacturer Matthew Boulton of Soho, Birmingham bought the estate and added a large gothic revival library to the east end of the dower house. In 1856 the family added a large tudor style extension to the west end designed by architect F.S. Waller. The manor house remained in the Boulton family until the last occupant, M.E. Boulton, died without heirs in 1914. The house hasn't been an occupied home since 1914, instead used for storage by the estate, clad in scaffolding and plastic sheeting. A small part of one wing is occupied by a private tenant, sectioned off from the rest of the house. In 2020 the estate owners, the Johnston family, sold the manor house to controversial newspaper magnate Rupert Murdoch and his wife Jerry Hall for a reported £30m - and as I commented at the time, whatever your feelings are towards Murdoch if the house finally gets restored that can only be a good thing.
I took a lot of photos on this visit - including a fair few detail shots which is strange for me but I guess at that time I was going a bit snap happy with my new camera. I'm kind of glad I did take so many photos though because right now there are almost no little objects and things left inside.
Continued below...
I visited Great Tew Manor a few times, the first being in July 2010 when it had popped up on the radar just a couple of days beforehand. Back in those days codenames were still allowed on this forum and so as soon as it appeared on here I was straight on the hunt as I knew it was local, or in my home county at least and these things crop up few and far between. After a day or so I had tracked it down and so went off to investigate, and that first visit was pretty memorable in itself as we had to wait out estate workers coming into the ground floor of the house to remove some stuff from one of the rooms, as well as people removing stuff from a container tucked down the side of the house as well. I presumably went back in 2011 as I had my new camera and wanted to re-shoot it, and I went back in 2013 as well to shoot it with my wide angle which was my last visit there. Great Tew was strange because every visit would see different areas of the building locked up and other new ones opened up, it always felt like you'd see something new every time you went with previously inaccessible areas opened up. I think my visit in 2011 caught it at the perfect time because almost the entire house was accessible for once.
Great Tew has had a manor house in some form since the year 990, and its gone through various styles and owners through the centuries until you get to the current building. By 1793 the estate was owned by George Stratton who had made his fortunes with the East India Company. He died in March 1800 and ownership passed to his son George Frederick Stratton, and the family lived in a smaller dower house to the south of the manor as it had fallen into disrepair, and it was later demolished in 1803. In 1815 Matthew Robinson Boulton, son of the manufacturer Matthew Boulton of Soho, Birmingham bought the estate and added a large gothic revival library to the east end of the dower house. In 1856 the family added a large tudor style extension to the west end designed by architect F.S. Waller. The manor house remained in the Boulton family until the last occupant, M.E. Boulton, died without heirs in 1914. The house hasn't been an occupied home since 1914, instead used for storage by the estate, clad in scaffolding and plastic sheeting. A small part of one wing is occupied by a private tenant, sectioned off from the rest of the house. In 2020 the estate owners, the Johnston family, sold the manor house to controversial newspaper magnate Rupert Murdoch and his wife Jerry Hall for a reported £30m - and as I commented at the time, whatever your feelings are towards Murdoch if the house finally gets restored that can only be a good thing.
I took a lot of photos on this visit - including a fair few detail shots which is strange for me but I guess at that time I was going a bit snap happy with my new camera. I'm kind of glad I did take so many photos though because right now there are almost no little objects and things left inside.
Continued below...
