If stones could talk...

Here are a few more atmospheric images of the derelict mansion that was Milner Field, Titus Salt Jnr's house. For a brief note of its history, please see HERE. The lumps of masonry scattered among the trees are overgrown with moss and lichen but you can still see the detailing on some of the pieces. I think the chunk above may have been in the garden, perhaps a pedestal for a statue? 

There a several pieces that appear to have a gully in them (below), possibly part of the rainwater guttering system. 

It's really hard nowadays to see exactly where the house would have stood. There are piles of rubble from its demolition but, since the 1950s, trees have rapidly reclaimed the site. Some of them are barely rooted under the soil, seeming to have wrapped around the stone like tentacles, like the one in the photo below. 

The vast and empty conservatory floor is perhaps the most poignant part. You can see the outline of the floor plan and some of the remaining mosaic. Sad to think it was once a showpiece full of exotic ferns and plants, enjoyed by - among others - the then Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) and his wife on a royal visit in 1882 (when 'the conservatory was lighted with small coloured incandescent lamps, concealed among the foliage and had a lovely effect'.) It seems it was the done thing to invite the Prince's mistress, Lillie Langtry, too - otherwise the Prince might turn down the invitation!

However grand the house was in its heyday, it was really quite an ugly, heavy-looking building. Perhaps no great loss then. I much prefer the natural beauty now gracing the site. I loved noticing the tiny new leaves on this sycamore tree.