Report - Silverlands (Actors Orphanage) - Chertsey - Feb 19

[Bikin Glynn]

Silverlands Orphanage

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Heres another one you may know of.

The Actors' Orphanage was started in 1896 by Kittie Carson at Croydon and was established as the Actors' Orphanage Fund in 1912. In 1915 the Orphanage moved to Langley Hall at Langley (was in Buckinghamshire - now in Berkshire). The orphanage was both a home and a school to approximately 60 children. At ages 15–17 pupils sat the School Leaving Certificate of Cambridge University and if 10 subjects were taken to Matriculation.
The home and school was moved to Silverlands at Chertsey, Surrey in 1938 where it remained until 1940. In September 1940 the Orphanage was evacuated to the USA where the children were housed in New York City at the Edwin Gould Foundation, and the children were sent to local schools. After the war ended the Fund established a home (once again at Silverlands, Chertsey). This arrangement ended in 1958 and the Actors' Orphanage ceased to exist.

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The 1912 fund was re-established as the Actors' Charitable Trust and financial and care help was offered to those in need. Over the years many from the theatrical profession have given time and money to the running of the orphanage including some who became presidents of the orphanage among whom are Sir Gerald du Maurier, Noël Coward, Laurence Olivier and the last president Lord Attenborough.
In 1990 Silverlands Nursing School amalgamated with other schools of nursing in Surrey and Hampshire to become the Francis Harrison College of nursing and midwifery. At some point in the late 1990’s Silverlands ceased it’s role as a nursing school and the National Probation Service was looking for a new site for the ‘residential assessment and intervention programmes for adult males with allegations of, or convictions for, sexual offences involving children’. Silverlands in Chertsey was considered the most appropriate.

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The proposal was met with strong opposition from local people who organised a candlelit vigil to protest about the site being used for such a purpose and were concerned about the impact of the 7000 children attending the 25 schools within a 2.5 mile radius of Silverlands. After a lot of debating and protests on 4th July, 2002, it was confirmed by the Home Office Minister that Silverlands will not become the home of the Wolvercote paedophile clinic

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This place is now well underway with its restoration though I cant find any up to date images, there is some information here https://www.group-savvy.co.uk/silverlands-manor
Unfortunately our visit here was shortly after the goons had ripped the main chandelier off the ceiling, but there was still so much nice architecture to see.

& finally why anyone would spray a dead bird quite baffles me, Thanks for looking

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[Down and beyond]

What a absolute gem

 

[Bikin Glynn]

What a absolute gem

Thanks, pretty much the same as all the other reports on it unfortunately but it was a lovely place

 

[Mikeymutt]

Nice take on the place mate.

 

[mookster]

One of the most iconic staircases.

I'm very glad work started on it when it did, before the numbskulls had a chance to burn it down because it was very much headed that way.

 

[Wally_urbex]

Wot a place this was It's amazing how quickly it went down hill though

 

[HughieD]

Fantastic set of pics mate. No substitute for lovely internal architectural features really well captured.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Nice take on the place mate.

Thanks dude its hard to take any different pics there tbh

One of the most iconic staircases.

I'm very glad work started on it when it did, before the numbskulls had a chance to burn it down because it was very much headed that way.

Yeah I really wish they would show some work in progress pics, I'm assuming they have kept the stairs but who knows?

Wot a place this was It's amazing how quickly it went down hill though

Yeah it looked amazing in some of the early posts

Fantastic set of pics mate. No substitute for lovely internal architectural features really well captured.

Thanks dude it was one of them had to see places

 

[mookster]

Thanks dude its hard to take any different pics there tbh

Yeah I really wish they would show some work in progress pics, I'm assuming they have kept the stairs but who knows?

Yeah it looked amazing in some of the early posts

Thanks dude it was one of them had to see places

The staircase was dismantled and moved off site to be restored, it'll will get reinstalled during the renovation - it may already be done.

 

[thedonnysoulja]

for anyone who may be interested in the current of silverlands:

Silverlands Manor | Savvy Group

Silverlands is a Grade II listed manor house near Chertsey, Surrey. Purchased by our client in 2008, this is a unique and complex project that comprises significant logistic, conservation, and ecological challenges requiring considerable sensitivity to the heritage of the property

www.group-savvy.co.uk

 

[Bikin Glynn]

for anyone who may be interested in the current of silverlands:

Silverlands Manor | Savvy Group

Silverlands is a Grade II listed manor house near Chertsey, Surrey. Purchased by our client in 2008, this is a unique and complex project that comprises significant logistic, conservation, and ecological challenges requiring considerable sensitivity to the heritage of the property

www.group-savvy.co.uk

I put that link in the post lol. Still doesn't show u much though would be good to have current pics updated regular, but suppose the contractors have better things to do

 

[Calamity Jane]

Good to see an urbex old favourite again. So sad it got ruined so quickly. I went in 2015 and it was lovely. Sadly lost my photos as I didn't back them up on old pc.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Good to see an urbex old favourite again. So sad it got ruined so quickly. I went in 2015 and it was lovely. Sadly lost my photos as I didn't back them up on old pc.

Thats a real shame u lost them but like everywhere aint it.
It was unbelievable how easy access was when we went, we walked up to the razor wire topped gate... then just opened it lol

 

[thedonnysoulja]

I put that link in the post lol. Still doesn't show u much though would be good to have current pics updated regular, but suppose the contractors have better things to do

Oh I do apologise, I did not see that you had put the link lol

I'd be very interested to see what it currently looks like, on their website its does if you want updates you can email them to find out what's happening.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Thats a real shame u lost them but like everywhere aint it.
It was unbelievable how easy access was when we went, we walked up to the razor wire topped gate... then just opened it lol

Wasnt that easy when I went. Fences, anti climb paint, small holes and hot security lol.