Valentines Mansion and Gardens
We explore historic Valentines Mansion and Gardens in Ilford, from its period rooms and walled gardens to the charming Gardener’s Cottage Café.
Ilford, IG1 2ZN, Essex
Our visit
Having seen an episode of BBC's Antiques Roadshow at Valentines Mansion and Gardens and marvelling at the beautiful house and location, we decided to explore further. We fortuituously chose to travel on the day that the notorious Gallows Corner roadworks at Romford had finally opened after months of closure and diversions so our journey from Maldon to Ilford was seamless!
Valentines Mansion is a Grade II building situated in Valentines Park in Gants Hill, Redbridge. The Mansion is more than 300 years old and was originally built for Elizabeth Tillotson. The mansion changed hands numerous times after that and the last private resident was Sarah Ingleby. After her death, the Council acquired the house in 1912 and was used for some time. It lay vacant for nearly 15 years before it was finally restored with Redbridge Council and Heritage Lottery funds to what it is today.
The rooms are furnished as they might have been during the time of the last owners, the Inglesbys, with informative storyboards. Of particular interest is the kitchen block
which shows how the kitchen might have looked in late 1860s. It is very easy to imagine the hard work involved in catering to the family, friends and guests!
Outside, we strolled through the historic walled gardens, the Victorian rose garden and Old English garden to the Long Water and Rococo Grottoes. The gardens are open every day throughout the year.
We enjoyed a lovely lunch at the charming Gardener’s Cottage Café – a hidden little gem open everyday, serving a variety of light lunches, delicious cakes and a wide selection of hot and cold drinks.
The shaded courtyard was a delight on a warm early autumn day – we felt we could have been in the Mediterranean instead of suburban Ilford, surrounded by the lovely tree-lined avenues of this beautiful place!
Good to know
Note that the Mansion is only open to the public on Sundays and Mondays (March to October 12pm-5pm; November to February 11am-3pm) although the grounds and cafe are open all year round. We were able to park free on Cranbourne Road, right outside the park. There is parking inside the grounds.
Getting around
We do not have accessibility issues, so were not particularly aware of any difficulties. The paths are paved and there is plenty of seating. However, we did notice that there were lifts and ramps inside the mansion itself. There was also a very helpful volunteer host on arrival who would advise on access, etc.
Photos from our visit
