Inholmes

A Memory of Burgess Hill.

My aunt and uncle became the caretakers at Inholmes after it was converted to offices. I remember the magnificent staircase which had a huge eagle as a newel post. The range in the kitchen was the biggest I have ever seen, and the kitchens had not been touched and were exactly as they were when the house was a home. Outside there had been wonderful gardens - then sadly neglected. Part of the gardens had been a very long area sunken and very wet, then all overgrown. It was possible to see the layouts of a series of terraced areas, I particularly remember the enormous Gunnera plants with wicked spines. In one of the cellars, reached from a door opening on to the old terrace, were many boxes of glass photographic plates with photos of the family, friends, horses, carriages etc. They were probably destroyed but were a wonderful record of the Edwardian era. My cousins and I had great races using two bath chairs too. A beautiful house and very, very sad that it was destroyed. Wonder what happened to the staircase!

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