The Holloway House Abandoned After Family Printing Business Failure

The Holloway family established Fernwick House in 1907 after Samuel Holloway purchased woodland property near Alderbrook and built the residence beside a small printing workshop. Three generations lived there, including Samuel, his wife Edith, their children, and later grandchildren who helped operate the presses, manage orders, and maintain the household. The family earned income from newspaper printing, bookbinding, and local publishing contracts.

Regional records describe a carefully maintained home with active gardens, a conservatory, and a successful workshop before changing technology and competition reduced the family’s earnings.

The first warning sign appeared in 1927 when larger commercial printers began taking local contracts from the Holloways. By 1929, the family dismissed workshop assistants and closed several rooms, including the upper tower chambers and unused guest spaces, to reduce expenses. Maintenance of the conservatory, slate pathways, and twisting porch railings was postponed as debts increased. The economic pressure of the early 1930s caused unpaid paper suppliers, equipment loans, and property taxes to accumulate. In 1933, the printing business failed completely, and the Holloway family moved away from Alderbrook to seek other employment.

Fernwick House was abandoned in 1934 after the collapse of the Holloway printing business, unpaid debts, and the loss of family income ended their ownership. No restoration occurred, and no Holloway descendants returned after leaving Alderbrook. Property records documented unsuccessful sales attempts and unresolved maintenance responsibilities. The rooms remained closed with furniture, printing materials, and household belongings left behind. Over decades, weather, vegetation, and neglect damaged the conservatory, balconies, and stonework. The Gothic Cottage Revival house remains empty among the fir trees, continuing to deteriorate without restoration or confirmed future use.