Building record 0640900000 - Redfield (Selby Lodge)

Built about 1842 for Edward William Selby-Lowndes and known as Selby Lodge. Folowing the death of Selby-Lowndes in April 1885, the house and estate was sold at auction. The sales particulars describe: 'The House, which is brick-built and slated, is of most substantial and modern elevation, and contains handsomely proportioned Reception Booms, spacious Corridors, and well-appointed Bedrooms and Domestic Offices and comprising: On the Ground Floor, A lofty Entrance Hall 42ft. by 9ft 9in. Dining and Drawing Rooms each 20ft. by 24ft. Morning Boom 15ft. 9in. by 15ft. Gun Boom. On the First Floor, 6 principal Bedrooms, 2 of which are 20ft. by 24ft., Dressing room, 5 Secondary Bedrooms with spacious Corridors and Landing. The Domestic Offices, comprise Housekeeper's Room, Butler's Pantry, Servant's Hall, Store Room, large Kitchen, Scullery, Larder, and 3 capital Ale and Wine Cellars in the basement. Detached brick and slated Wash-house, Men's Mess Room. Shoe and Knife House, Coal House, Hen-house and Potato Room'. The estate was bought for £17,500 by Henry Ralph Lambton, who remodelled and extended the house in 1886, renaming it 'Redfield', and adding hunting stables and a number of estate workers cottages. A 1913 valuation assessment described the house as 'A Red brick with stone facings and Slated Residence containing on the GROUND FLOOR:- Entrance Hall with part tiled and oak parquet floor, Lavatory and Cloak Room, Library 31 X 18’ 6, Dining Room 28 X 21, Staircase Hall with garden entrance Small Drawing Room 20 X [blank], Large Drawing Room 30 X 18, Boudoir 16 X 14, Housekeeper’s Room, Servant’s Hall, Brushing Room, 2 Larders, Scullery, kitchen and butler’s pantry and 6 cellars. On the FIRST FLOOR approached by principal and secondary staircases, Bath and W.C. 8 Bedrooms and one Dressing Room, Wardrobe Room and W.C. In the Wing are W.C. Bathroom (h & c) 4 Bedrooms, 2 Housemaid’s Closets, W.C. SECOND FLOOR in the main block are W.C. and 8 Bedrooms, Dressing Room, W.C. H.M’s Closet and Linen Room, There are also 4 Bedrooms and W.C. in the men’s quarters approached by a separate staircase. The house is well fitted and conveniently arranged having central heating apparatus, Company’s Gas and private water supply'. The Lambton family lived at Redfield until it was requisition during World War II. In October 1946 the estate was bought by Buckinghamshire County Council with the intention of using the house as a Tuberculosis Hospital and the farmland as smallholdings. In the event the house was used as an Old People's Home from 1950 until it was sold in January 1978 to the Redfield Community (B2).
Redfield was requisitioned in 1941 and used by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) as an operational holding school (known as STS 42) for the Italian Section (B3).