This site contains information about the history of Valentines Mansion, the people who have lived there and about the Mansion restoration project. We also have details here of the fund-raising events we hold throughout the year.

The Friends of Valentines Mansion have, since 2000, worked to support and assist in the preservation and improvement of this listed building in the London Borough of Redbridge for the benefit of the public and to promote its use by the public. We have 330 members.

If you would like to support our work, please consider subscribing to our quarterly newsletter as a member. An application form can be found here or contact our Membership Secretary at res@smassocs.freeserve.co.uk. Other contact details for the Friends can be found on our 'Contacts' page.

There has been a strong partnership between the Friends and Redbridge Council in achieving what is considered to be a notable restoration of a building of national importance. This partnership was the essential element in obtaining funding for restoration from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Valentines Mansion itself is owned and operated by the London Borough of Redbridge for the benefit of the community. There is a broad programme of organised events; the Mansion - in whole or part - is also available for hire for educational purposes, business meetings, conferences, seminars, weddings and celebrations.

If you want to find out about opening hours, the organised events or about hiring a room or even the whole mansion, please go to the London Borough of Redbridge website devoted to Mansion use at:

www.valentinesmansion.com

You will find a detailed account of a broad range of activities at the mansion and about room and mansion hire. Why not be one of the first to use the newly restored Mansion?

Valentines Mansion - An Introduction

Valentines Mansion was built in about 1696. It is considered by English Heritage to be "of outstanding architectural or historic interest or of great importance to the nation's built heritage" and is Grade II* listed. Not a grand building, but a family home for a gentleman of high status.

The mansion is listed at Grade II* because it is one of very few surviving rural homes of London businessmen of the 18th century. This listing makes it one of the top 8% of listed buildings in England. Valentines Mansion is located in the beautiful setting of Valentines Park, near Gants Hill in the London Borough of Redbridge. You can find details of how to get to Valentines, the history of the Mansion and its owners in the 'Explore' section of this website.

The Mansion was completely restored between July 2007 and November 2008. The London Borough of Redbridge and the Heritage Lottery Fund financed this work.

In parallel with the restoration work on the Mansion, the surrounding parkland and gardens have been extensively restored. The results of this park and garden restoration are absolutely stunning and complement the work on the Mansion. There are walled gardens, ponds and lakes, rococo grottos, a dovecote and a well, a rose garden and walks.

The Mansion features period rooms, an exhibition gallery and displays on the history of the Mansion and its estate. School children can role-play life 'upstairs & downstairs', using the reconstructed Victorian kitchen and dairy as part of an exciting new education programme. There is a well-equipped family room devoted to activities for younger children. Artists and craftspeople now occupy studios on the top floor, and showcase their work.