The Warren

The land where The Warren was to be built belonged to the Wickham Court Estate. It had been enclosed before the Metropolitan Commons Act 1866 and no one could claim its restitution. In 1882 it was leased by Julia Maria Francis Lennard, wife of Colonel Sir John Farnaby Lennard, a local landowner, for ninety-nine years at £60 per annum to Walter Maximilian de Zoete, son of the banker Samuel Herman de Zoete, who became Chairman of the Stock exchange in 1872. Walter Maximillian de Zoete built Warren House, the name derived from the wooded area on the west side of the house known locally as The Warren because it was over-run with rabbits. In 1885 leasehold interests were assigned to Martin R…

The Warren is a red brick mansion designed in the Flemish style, specifically noted for its stepped gables, a style not commonly found in England. This architectural influence is reminiscent of the old Flemish school and is noticeable in its decorated gables and characteristic window heads. The house consists of two floors, in addition to a red brick attic, with irregular mullioned and transom windows. A prominent feature of the building is the large central brick porch adorned with a stone balustrade above. When put up for sale in 1909, the brochure prepared by John D. Wood & Co. estate agents boasted interior feature walls panelled in teak, a national telephone line, a burglar alarm…