Updated 3 October 2026
The history of Lorne House is woven into Box’s story: stone quarrying, changing family homes, the childhood of Wilbert Awdry and, more recently, welcoming visitors to the village.
The history of Lorne House: Victorian beginnings
The house’s recorded history dates Lorne House and its neighbouring property, Glenavon, to 1876, built by a branch of the quarry-owning Pictor family. Lorne House was originally known as Lorne Villa. Earlier research for this website traced a succession of residents through census and local records.
That background gives the house a place in the wider story of Box, where Bath stone and the railway shaped the village’s development. The house has changed through the years as successive residents adapted it to their lives.
1920–1928: the Awdry family’s Journey’s End
Wilbert Awdry lived at Lorne House from 1920 to 1928. His family renamed it Journey’s End. The nearby railway and the sounds of steam engines became part of the imaginative world he later drew on for The Railway Series.
His father, the Reverend Vere Awdry, shared his enthusiasm for railways. Local photographs and former residents’ memories preserve glimpses of that family life. Our Awdry article explores the connection in more detail.
From 1928: the Bence family
Geoff Bence’s first-hand recollections record his family’s move to Lorne House in 1928. His parents, Leslie and Violet, were part of the village’s shopkeeping community.
His account makes the old house feel lived in: a basement washroom, a room for charging the accumulators that powered wireless sets, and a cool cellar used for storing food and preserving eggs. He also remembered a pump drawing water from a well. These are historical memories, rather than descriptions of today’s guest facilities.
Read Geoff Bence’s original account on Box People and Places for the fuller family story.
A new chapter in the history of Lorne House
The house’s earlier history records its conversion to guest accommodation in the early 2000s. Mike and Fran Ralli subsequently refurbished Lorne House, with a project documented by Julie Kent Interiors. Bob and Liz Matthews continued the business from 2016.
In January 2026, Harry and Eliza took over running Lorne House. Today it welcomes guests to eight en-suite bedrooms, with both individual room stays and whole-house stays.
Meet the family welcoming you today
Visit About Harry & Eliza for the current chapter of Lorne House. For more of the village’s past and places to explore, follow our Box guide and Things to Do.
Historical background: Lorne House’s original house-history research; Geoff Bence’s recollections; Vere Awdry photographs. Harry and Eliza’s January 2026 takeover is confirmed by the family.