Silverlands House was built in the 1800s and has had a rather interesting history. It was a private home, an actors orphanage and a nurse training school. The training school finally closed in the 1990s.
In 2001 there were plans to turn it into a clinic for convicted paedophiles. Needless to say, local residents protested against it, what-with it being so close to local schools. During the protests, the house received a £3million refit for it’s new role. But in 2002 the protests paid off and Parliament decided to end the conversion. It has remained empty since then…
Inside is rather magnificient. £3million well spent?….
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WOW!!
The architecture is very extravagant. I would love to live here. Looks like it would make very nice upscale apartments or boarding house. Possibly a nice small college also.
This is really weird for such a building just to be left derelict. looks really tidy though was it hard to get into??
Regards
your pictures of silverlands bring back happy memories,i was one of the children there when it was an actors orphanage i was there from 1954 until it closed in december 1958.we had many happy times exploring the old building and the grounds and woods.
i worked on this building from 1999 to approx 2004 as security . this building is in my opinion defenetly hounted . there is agrave in the grounds which we belive to of a horse .which we found hidden just outside the library.
Those were the days working as security at silverlands . The building is in the exact same condition as it was before it had a refit – not much was done to it , nice place to work in the daytime – but at night you would,nt want to touch it – All the night officers could tell you a few things about the place, Also silverlands was a war hosiptal as part of St Peters hospital across the road .
If you would like more info on this place please contact us
hi i was wondering if anyone would be able to help me track the current owners as i think that this would be a lovely place to do a fashion photoshoot.
hi i was wondering if anyone would be able to help me track the current owners as i think that this would be a lovely place to do a fashion photoshoot.
My brothers (Tony & Peter) lived here around 1950, I enjoyed my stay there, especially the education for which we had to go into Chertsea (as I remember).
As far as my mother was conerned, it was not an orphanage, as we had to pay fees to stay there. Of this though I am ignorant.
If anyone remembers me, please contact.
Hallo Robert, Yes I remember the 3 little Dawson boys. I was also at Silverlands between 1950-1955, but I am much older than you, being one of the “big girls”. All the Silverlanders who could be traced have had a few reunions, a huge one in 2000, and another in 2008. I have photos, also a lot of old photos. I have contact with some of the kids your age, if you remember any of the names let me know and I will see if I have their contact details.
Actually, none of us had to pay fees, it was entirely funded by the Actor’s Charitable Trust, consisting of Noel Coward, Richard Attenbrough, and loads of other big names.
Cheers, all the best, Ann.
Hello Ann and fellow Silverlanders.
Liz and I lived at Silverlands for many of our early years. We left in the late 50′s and went our seperate ways – both ending up with our own families in the USA.
Now we are both on our own again but planning to get married this September.
Most of the kids at Silverlands were not orphans but simply had one or both parents working in the theatre.
If anyone knows where Norma Gumley or Susan Law are have them email liz.eastham@gmail.com
Hello to my fellow “orphans” It’s true that most of us were not orphans. We all had at least one parent.
I believe I was in residence longest at Silverlands while it was the Actors Orphanage. I went there at the age of not quite four in December 1946 and left in January 1959, just be fore it closed and a few children moved to Watford. I too remember the Dawson boys and would love to communicate with Robert as I am writing a book about my years there. How long were you three Dawson boys there? No one seems to know. Silverlands was my home for most of my childhood and many days were happy ones. Thanks for the pictures guys. I wish someone would buy the house and save it before it falls down. It is such a beautiful house.
Hello to all from “Beefy”. I too was a Silverlands child from 1951 to 1958, & then moved on from there to Watford. I only remember the happy times spent there with all my many brothers & sisters. The house along with the vast grounds & woods were every childs ‘dream playground’. Bill Gates – “Please save this old place”.
Hello everyone who answered my last posting.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your replies. It was heartening to hear that we – the Dawson boys – are still remembered. I would love to correspond with you all, then I can answer your questions and ask some of my own. I can be contacted on yoda999breen@netscape.com I now live in Australia and am trying to update my Great grandfather’s autobiography ‘From Sawdust to Windsor Castle,’ among other things.
Hi all
I have the current owner details somewhere as we had the security on the site up until 2006 when it was bought by a Dr Chung who was going to turn it into a clinic, however the building still stands empty. a lot of fun was had whilst looking after this magnificant property a lot os scared security officers who refused to work there as it was “Haunted” lol
Hi everyone
I was never a resident at this magnificiant house but my mum was a security guard there. I loved going up there with her just to look at it. I loved playing in the grounds, specially when it snowed.
I spent many wonderful hours day and night in that magnificant home and grounds and had many wonderful times at Silverlands .Yes it was every childs dream and play ground, thank you to Richard Attenbrough. Your pictures bring me so much joy ,Hello to all brothers and sisters that made my life so happy and thankyou to and to the love of my live.From Grin
Could you please tell me when is the next reunion for Silverlands will be?
Linda Boxall – lost in Australia….or is she? I have been in Toronto since 1967, Linda, and you are very welcome to contact me at twatt@sympatico.ca. Furthermore, I spoke to Suzie at the 3 re-unions we have had so far and, only if you wish, I can put you in touch with her. I was talking with Jo Chappell ( now Morrow) in Chertsey and she showed some interest in organising another re-union. I joined Silverlands in June 1952 and certainly remember hearing about the Dawson brothers for some reason but they had left by that time. Just about everyone I stayed in contact with had lost their father early in life but still had their mother. Silverlands appeared to be the option once the breadwinner of the family passed away, which was the man in those days.
Hi Rich
if you happen to have found the owners’ contact details I’d love to speak to them about having an event there. Think you could email me? christine@christine-miller.com thanks a mill !
To anyone wjo has special interst in Silverlands.
My Mother in law (83 years old) spend her childhood days at Silverlands before she and a lot of her schoolfriends were evacuated to America in 1940.
She is the sister of welknowed film director John Gilling (Hammer Film) and her uncle was the famous Will Kellino. Now she suffers from Alzheimer dissease and i am making a documentary of her life.
If anyone who has pictures of that time and would let me use them i would be very thankfull to.
Sjef Potters, Holland
For Sjef Potters…I knew Mary Gislingham (Kellino]
very well for the 12 years we were together as children at the Actors Orphanage..first at Langley Hall then Silverlands and then in New York…I have information and photos so perhaps you would like to get in touch.
Thanks to Judy, i got in touch with Granville Bantock and it enriched our life. We chared information about the A.O that is awesome, specially for Mary, who once was at Silverlands. Judy can you contact me because i have question to ask you.
s.potters@hetnet.nl
Thank you so much, Sjef