Charlwood Park

[mikekitt]

having just searched for charlwood park house i see there is some interest in the building.I do have a picture of the front,rather grainy i'm afraid but from about 1970 when we lived in the building.

[bbn]

My father worked in Charlwood Park around 1950~1970. He was one half of the company Ashpool & Twiddy, a womens knitwear company, which was based there and as a young boy, I visited on a number of occasions. Here are some of my recollections:

1) It was quite a grand house and particulalry impressive inside with a large sweeping staircase that swept up inside the oval hall.
2) Douglas and Gladys Ashpool lived 'above the shop' using first floor rooms.
3) Ashpool & Twiddy used ground floor rooms for offices, stock and showrooms.
4) There were large cellars which seemed to be used for storing aircraft parts - mainly instruments obviously removed from planes and kept for some reason.
5) There was a large greenhouse between the house and the airport grounds which was in a state of disrepair.
6) The front door was mirrored by a dummy which makes me think it may have been a Lutyens building.
7) Ashpool & Twiddy was sold to Straven when my father moved the operation to Straven premises in Regent Street.
Doug Ashpool was a very keen cricket fan and knew many of the England players at the time and I believe he often met the Duke of Edinburgh who was also a keen follower of the game.
9) Doug suffered from a terminal respiratory illness from which he eventually died. In his later years he was bedridden in one of the bedrooms with an oxygen cylinder by his side. He was a very keen ham radio enthusiast and had a large motorised cuboid aerial on the roof which he could control from his bed.
10) Gladys went on to continue in the fashion industry and in ~1975 I met her (for the last time) in Paris at the George V hotel on the Champs Elysee where she had a small show in one of the ground floor rooms.

I would be very interested to see any pictures of the building, inside and out and grounds.

[bbn]

I found a history of Outwood cricket club which amply reinforces my memory of Doug Ashpool's enthusiasm for cricket:
http://www.outwoodcricketclub.co.uk/OCC/history.html

[bbn]

Here is a link to the UK Listed Buildings site: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-363357-charlwood-park-crawley.

Apparently, Charlwood Park used to be called Hintersham Park and later Archery Grand House. By 1980 the house was derelict and boarded up.

[RDJ123]

I also grew up on the Horley Road, In the Lodge House of Farmfield cottages. In the late seventies to mid eighties. My brothers and I used to visit the 'Haunted house' regularly.

I can remember it was boarded up, but not very well. We used to be able to get in through a downstairs window. I can still remember the beautiful staircases and some or the decoration although it was in a very sad state.
There was also the remnants of a formal garden, we could still see where the beds were laid out and many roses would still bloom. We would also go into what we believed was an old air - raid shelter to the side of the house, in the woods.
It was a wonderful place to have adventures as children and we were so sad when it was demolished to make way for the airport expansion.
I also clearly remember the farm, which was pretty derelict by the time we were these, but still had a wonderful hay barn to play in!

[ceriloujo]

Wow, can't believe I started this thread years ago.not sure if anyone that posted is still members?? ..thanks for  all the insights regarding charlwood park. Parklife and mikepitt I would love to see some photos.

RDJ123, thanks for your info, I have a memory of a field and tree line and a bunker of sorts and playing  in it, but wasn't sure if it was a real memory, as I was only 3 at the time. When I started  this thread I was having 're occurring dreams of a large house and certain rooms. When i  told my parents and was able to draw a rough layout of the rooms I kept dreaming about they were quite surprised and said it was charlwood park. Again now some years later I'm dreaming about it...weird aye!

I don't have any family ties to the house, just curious to know about it and see some pictures.

Thanks everyone for there comments

[BuddysMummy]

The fields surrounding Farmfield Cottages, belonging to the hospital, had a bunker of sorts. (these fields were on the opposite side of The road to Charlwood house)
The lane going up to the hospital was tree-lined, as well as little white, metal fences.
Sheep were kept in the fields and several times we children “rescued” them from the ditches, whether they wanted to be or not!
There may have been cows in one of the fields. 

We used to sometimes stay on the bus to get off at the roundabout near the airport to watch planes take off. Not so many of them in those days.
Walking slowly Home down the road, in and out of the ditches.
Being sent to bec with no tea for worrying dad by not being home on time.

[pdadme]

I just rediscovered a photo of Horley Lodge, sent to me some years ago by the son of the builder who was tasked with demolishing it.
My Grandmother and her elder siblings were born at Charlwood Park, where my great grandfather George Massey Saunders was the gardener, before they moved to Bushey, Herts. His address in the 1881 is given as Park Gardens, Charlwood.
Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be an easy way of attaching an image to this message.
If anyone is interested, please contact me
Regards
Phil How