Potter's Manor, Crowborough, East Sussex. 27 June 2010

[Hoolio]

Yay, finally got to go and have a look with DK. I won't go into the detail of the history because it has been covered already but the last proper owner was a French artist and orchid grower whose name has escaped me... apparently his wife, who I think features in many of the canvases left lying around, is still alive at 104 and lives in a nearby residential home. I was really surprised at how bad this beautiful old house has been allowed to get... looks like it's owned by pikies, with the piles of soil and fucked up caravans round the front. Whoever the developer is, he's shit; there should have been quite a lot of money to be made by asset stripping this before demo and now it's nearly all much too far gone.
There is still quite a lot to see though if you're in the area and on balance it deffo was worth the nearly 2 hour drive to get there.

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2045.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2047.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2087.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2085.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2092.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2048.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2057.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2090.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2096.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2104.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2110.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa203/Hoolio_02/DSCF2113.jpg

I'd like to get out a bit more but...

[Hoolio]

Here's a bit more about Mr J F Walford and his wife Muriel

James Francis Walford y de Borbón
M, #93575, b. 1913
James Francis Walford y de Borbón|b. 1913|p9358.htm#i93575|Leopold Walford|b. 1881\nd. 1958|p9356.htm#i93556|Cristina de Borbón y de Muguiro, Duquesa de Marchena|b. 1889\nd. 1981|p9356.htm#i93555|||||||Francisco de Borbón y de Borbón, Duque de Marchena|b. 1861\nd. 1923|p9356.htm#i93553|Maria d. P. de Muguiro y Beruete, Duquesa de Villa-Franca|b. 1869\nd. 1926|p9356.htm#i93554|

Last Edited=10 May 2003
James Francis Walford y de Borbón was born in 1913 at Paris, France. He is the son of Leopold Walford and Cristina de Borbón y de Muguiro, Duquesa de Marchena. He married Muriel Whitley in 1957 at London, England.

Muriel Whitley
F, #93576, b. 1906

Last Edited=18 Sep 2002
Muriel Whitley was born in 1906. She married James Francis Walford y de Borbón, son of Leopold Walford and Cristina de Borbón y de Muguiro, Duquesa de Marchena, in 1957 at London, England.
Her married name became Walford.
(Taken from thePeerage.com)

and this:
James Walford 1913 - 2003
Porcelain bottle vase, engraved pattern to shoulder. Made 1948 - 59 Surrey. England.

Celadon glaze, thick silky glaze pooling darker in engraved marks.Impressed James Walford's personal seal to outside of base.
H. 15.0 cm: Diam 11.5 cm,

James Walford perhaps owes more to Charles Vyse than Bernard Leach, in addition to his thrown pieces he is well known for his figurative work. Like Vyse he sort to emulate classic Chinese glazes and forms. He was a founder member of the Craft Potters Association of Great Britain. I wonder if this is why the house is known as Potters manor?

It seems that Mr Walford also had a commercial Orchid nursery at the manor (previously known as Steep Farm as far as I could work out) and Sotheby's sold copy no 42 of his "Book of Orchid Paintings" for around £250 in 1998. At an auction of books from assorted collections by Bloomsbury another copy of the book was sold only last week... I have no idea what it made but the estimate was £50 - £100.