Lingfield History by J A Brett

Enclosed are what few photo’s I have of the gardens at Weir Courtney, they were taken (with the exception of the group of children) with a 620 Box Brownie camera by my mother.
Please remember that just after the war film was in short supply and hard to get hold of.
I trust that these may be of some interest to you.
Yours Sincerely
John Brett

Weir Courtney Lingfield, Surrey.
The estate that belonged to Sir Benjamin Drage from somewhere in the 1920’s until 1949 when it was sold to a Mr Sheraton who then sold it off piecemeal.
My father Mr Charles Brett was head gardener for both Sir Benjamin and Mr Sheraton from 1944 until 1950. I worked on the estate from 1945 until1950, from age14!.
Earlier during the war Sir Benjamin had opened his house for the evacuated children from London, a home for the Waifs and Strays?
Then somewhere in 1945/6 he again opened his house to the refugee orphaned children from the concentration camps in Europe as they were rescued and moved to this country to recuperate.


Photo’s taken at Wier Courtney between 1946 & 1949.
 

some of the orphaned Jewish children who stayed there sent to my
wife who was then May Huggett The Lodge, Southernleigh, Lingfield.

the reverse of the above photo

Taken in the orchard is of the gardeners working there at that time, left to right head gardener
Charles Brett, garden boy myself John Brett, we Lived in The Lodge, Weir Courtney. and gardeners Harry Bonwick From the Platt Dormansland, Ernie and Ethel Chantler from Hort’s Terrace Lingfield.

Myself working on the front drive just inside of the gates.

The herbaceous borders looking towards the greenhouses.

The herbaceous borders looking towards the front of the house.

If you have any old pictures or information of historical interest please contact us

 For a wider range of photos of Lingfield please click the logo below which will take you to the Frith Photos website. All the photos can be ordered online.