THIS IS FINDON — created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

GUIDED TOUR OF FINDON (2)

Text first published in Sussex Life dated April 1999.

Text copyright Valerie Martin, 1999.

I have found that the remaining twenty-four listed buildings in the village of Findon are all Grade II, which means they warrant every effort being made to preserve them. Starting my tour of these in the High Street, (at the Black Horse), I head north. HOLMBUSH stands on the left with its deep well, stable yard and outbuildings.

This was built at the time of Queen Anne, but has since been enlarged and is mainly early nineteenth century. It was originally the Dower House for the Findon Manor and intended for occupation by the widow of a past owner of Findon Place. At one time Holmbush Meadow ran between Cross Lane and the High Street.

EAST LODGE is next, and can best be described as spiky Gothic style and was built around 1850. It was originally the Lodge for Findon Manor but since 1938 has been separated from it by the A24 road. It boasts handsome mullioned windows that command a view of the tree-lined drive which leads to the church.   

In April 2006, John C. Greves (who had been brought up in Findon) wrote to me from Walton on Thames.   He had been a boy scout in his younger days and did Bob A Job in Findon.     He remarked that East Lodge "Has always has always been a dour place - for some reason the "job" was clearing the attic - only access was a door on one of the gable ends - needed a 20 foot ladder to get to it. Fully lined - was this a priest's hole or whatever?"

On the opposite side of the unmade lane, which leads to the church, is a large property called AVERY HOUSE, 56 High Street, comprising two parallel wings. This is another ancient residence dating from the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century. Its origins may even have been in Tudor times.

Around 2005 there was a bit of a mystery attached to Avery House.   The owner had previously died and his son lived somewhere in Cornwall and still owned the house.   Occasionally he appeared to tend the garden and cut the grass in the field.   The field behind the property and also the field to the south were said to go with the house. 

Apparently the new owner wanted to sell the whole package for building but it was thought he would not get planning permission at this time.     Some say it is all a question of Inheritance Tax as to whether he can keep it, or whether it will eventually have to be sold. 

In the meantime, Avery House has stood forlorn and derelict and a bit of a mystery, although some work was done to the inside and some repairs to the outside in 2005.   Every so often a white van is said to have appeared and parked by the gate and it was obvious people were in the house but they did not stay long.   It was rather surprising that squatters had not broken in.   Meanwhile, the mystery continues.

During his Bob a Job days, John C. Greves (ex-Findonian) described AVERY HOUSE as —

"Very nice house, lovely garden - think the village doctor had it at one stage.  Sad when the aged P's pass on - can be agony for offspring to let go of a cherished family home.  Needs a loving young family - probably too expensive - crazy.  Bet some Gin and Jag character will get it".
 

GREY WALLS is an early nineteenth century cottage at No. 52 High Street, of two storeys with a cellar useful for storing wine containing a flint cobbled floor. It is faced with flints with red brick dressings and quoins. There is a distinctive bull's eye window above the gabled porch known as a "Findon Window".   Unfortunately, the traffic on the A24 can be heard from the house.

Adjacent, and in front of Grey Walls is the VILLAGE WELL-HOUSE of the same date, comprising four timber uprights supporting a hipped tiled roof. The iron wheel within was used to raise water from the well.  In the 1920s (or maybe 1930s) the lady living at Grey Walls, fell down the well and drowned.   Her body was not recovered for two days from the deep well.

On the other side of the High Street stands HOLMCROFT, which has Georgian parentage and in the past had land extending as far east as Cross Lane. In bygone days the house was almost completely concealed within flint walls and tall trees and was renowned for its flowering gardens. In 1959 the grounds were sold with planning permission for the erection of twenty bungalows.

The distinctive FINDON MANOR HOTEL with its Horsham slab roof started life as the Rectory. The centre portion was built in 1584. The east wing was added around 1728, and the west end was built in 1773. The gardens also once extended to Cross Lane and contained a first-class collection of trees, which included figs. The straggling remnants of the cedars can be seen today.

Continue through Findon.