Walk Two Hundred and Fifty – Fairshot Court
Another dismal, windy, wet day so I took simple tools and a tiny sketchbook as I didn’t want to be out for long. Fairshot Court is a large, grand house on the edge of the village. The house has been divided up into flats and there are communal gardens around the building. I’m interested in the history of the house but I wonder whether it has changed name as I can’t find anything on the internet. On one of my walking encounters somebody told me that it used to be a youth hostel – and that is the full extent of what I know about its previous life. If anyone does know a bit more – its age, whether it was ever lived in by one family, whether it had a different name, do please add a comment – I’d be very interested.
195mm x 145mm sepia ink and watercolour
195mm x 145mm sepia ink and watercolour
posted by Julie Oakley at Sunday, December 31, 2006
10 Comments:
This one is great fun to see. I like all the different kinds of lines, thick, thin, straight, curvy, etc. and the wonderful pinkish paint.
This kind of place is begging for a writer to get up a short story - of a ghost or something. How a mansion gets renewed, renovated, trashed, etc. over the years. Oh, how the splendid fall!
Are you going to sneak around and do some more pics of this place? Or make up a story for your kids about an old wrinkled woman in a bridal dress - or has that been done before!
W.
Hi from Australia! My uncle had a boy's prep school in the early 60's called Aylesford House School out of St Albans that looks very like this house. He was John Thompson and I used to visit my aunt and uncle during college holidays from London. Story was that it was a Churchill House that during the war was used to billet officers. I stumbled across your site trying to track the school down, I think this could be the one!!
Hi, I lived at Fairshot Court between 1982-88, as my husband was a Resident Warden there for Hatfield Polytechnic, they used the building as halls of residence at the time.I was told that previously it was used as accommodation/school for nurses.
Hi- I just located my great-aunt on the 1911 census and she is a maid at Fairshot Court. At that time it was a private residence inhabited by 4 sisters and their 7 hired help! Apparently the name has remained the same.I found your site while looking for info on the house.
Fairshot Court and Aylesford House are not the same houses, although they are both in Sandridge. Aylesford House is in Sandridgebury Lane. I grew up in the village when the school was open and I remember that in the 1950s the village children called it the "Pink cap school" becuase the boys had to wear bright pink jackets and caps.
Hullo Anon from Australia
Just read your comments on John Thomson Aylesford House school and your relation. JT was a great Uncle of mine (My paternal Grandmothers brother)
As family we all met up for a Golden wedding event in c1963 I would like to make contact if OK with you
Hi I've just been delivering meals on wheels to Fairshot Court ! Suddenly remembered that my sister used to go there in the 70s as it was halls of residence for students! Many a party there from what I've heard ? She has an old photo , so yes you are correct as I began to doubt myself as it's quite grand now !
Oh my goodness all this activity on this old blog post. Thanks everyone for all the interesting info.
This building used to be owned by Mr Mackay who owned Suttons farm. My great uncles and aunt worked for him and lived in the bungalows
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