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Description: | Upton Towers has been used for a variety of purposes. When this selection of photographs were taken, Upton Towers was waiting for planning permission to be converted into offices. Whilst vacant, the building was vandalised.
The photograph of the staircase shows that the handrail and balustrade had been removed making the stair unsafe to use. The handrail on the far wall adjoining the window is not original and was added later, possibly in the days when it was used as a childrens' home. The staircase string is curved and ornamental. Paint is peeling everywhere.
Upton Towers was built in 1856 by W.G.Nixey, manufacturer of blacklead and known as the Blacklead King. Nixy's nickname led to the building being know locally as Blacklead Castle.
The building was originally called Springfield House after a spring on the site. The building has had a long history of uses. In 1919 it became the Princess Alice Home for Disabled Sailors and Soldiers, and in 1940 an emergency Maternity Hospital. After the Second World War it was leased to Buckinghamshire Council as an old peoples' home. In 1977 it was used for housing homeless families.
In 1980 consent was given for use as offices. However, as a result of planning delays, the building then stood empty for a number of years and became vandalised. In 1998 it is again recorded as being used as offices and has since been extended. The office block is now known as Elvian House.
This is a large and interesting Victorian gothic pile with towers and castellated walls, exposed chimney stacks, oriel windows and ornate stonework detailing .There is also evidence of a glazed orangery in earlier photographs. | Format: | image/jpeg | License: | http://www.sopse.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.exe?a=query&p=gateway&f=generic_sitetext%2ehtm&_IXFIRST_=1&_IXMAXHITS_=1&cms_con_core_subtype%3acms_con_text_what=copyright&%3acms_sys_group=%22sopse%22 | Rights holder: | Slough Library | Subjects: | Houses ; Offices Upton Towers ; Springfield House ; Princess Alice Home for Disabled Sailors and Soldiers ; Elvian House ; Blacklead Castle | Temporal: | start=1975-01-01; end=1982-01-01; | Source: | Sense of place SE | Creator: | Reg Harrison | Identifier: | http://www.sopse.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | image/jpeg | Go to resource |
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