Sandon Lodge There was an old house already on this site in 1777, marked on the Chigwell map. The present house was built in 1870 and called ‘Moire House’. Some dispute over Rights of Way occurred between Charles Sanders the owner and John Bonney who had bought ‘Ecclesiastical land’ from the church and rectory. Sold in 1874 to Charles Clark of Sandown Villas, Putney it was renamed ‘Sandon’. In 1878 Charles Sanders purchased the house and land, and so now had his own ‘Right of Way’. It is advertised with orchard and outbuildings and the ‘cottage houses a groom’. In 1915 Sanders’ widow Laura Ann rented the house to an Insurance Shipping agent Alexander White. In 1924 her son sold the house to School Governor Lieutenant General Sir Francis Lloyd of Rolls Park (who had bought home the fragment of shattered window from Ypres Cathedral after the First World War which is now incorporated in Memorial Chapel’s ‘Holy City’ window). The fund for this purchase came from ‘The Charity known as Chigwell School’ and Sandon Lodge became School’s Sanatorium. In 1973 Mr Coventry the Bursar lived there with his family and now it is the girls’ Boarding House. ‘Bell rope acre’ its meadow, better known as Joan Simpson’s Field used to be rented to School and the rent funded the Church Bells. The School Complex has grown from one ancient house to ½ mile of buildings. In 1619 Archbishop Harsnett bought the old Tudor Guild House and pightle of land for £16 10s from John Wroth of Luxborough Hall. By 1623 Big School had been built. In 1627 Harsnetts was purchased. School was officially founded in 1629.
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