Firefighters battle Headley Hall fire for 6 hours and will remain on site
Firefighters have put out a large fire that ripped through a Surrey mansion on Wednesday, November 27. The home, which once belonging to Sir Malcolm Campbell, caught alight after fire broke out in a roof space.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to Headley Hall near Epsom just after 10.30am, with eight fire engines, two pumps and an aerial ladder in attendance. As a precaution, Headley Road, the B2033, was shut and firefighters remained on site to dampen down any hotspots that may emerge overnight.
Fire crews expect to remain on site throughout Thursday, November 28. Fire investigation work is ongoing at the scene to establish the cause.
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Surrey Fire and Rescue Service's, Area Commander David Nolan said firefighters were called to a fire in the roof space. The building was undergoing extensive renovations works at the time of the fire.
At 6pm on Wednesday, emergency service efforts were scaled back. Four fire engines are to remain on the scene overnight to dampen down hotspots, the fire had been extinguished just after 5pm.
At the height of the fire, people living near the Grade II listed building were urged to avoid the area and keep their doors and windows shut while firefighters battle the blaze.
Sir Malcolm was a speed junkie and smashed the land speed record for the first time in 1924 at 146.16mph. He didn't stop there, and broke nine land speed records between 1924 and 1935. In 1935 he reached speeds of over 300mph in his Bluebird car on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA. He settled at the sprawling mansion, before selling up in 1946.
Maharajah of Baroda snapped up the property, and rebuilt the Headley village cricket pavilion. He also added stables, a keen horse racing observer. The property was sold in the 1950s, and again in the 1970s. It reappeared on the market in 2016, and was being run as two separate properties.