grafham and ellington heritage buildings
TRANSCRIPT
Grafham and Ellington Heritage Buildings
Built before 1870
Author: Edward Biffin
Dated: 31st December 2020
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Introduction A key component of the Grafham and Ellington Neighbourhood Plan is the history and built heritage
of the two parishes, defining the character and some of the planning policies.
This document has been produced in support of the Neighbourhood Plan and provides a “catalogue”
of heritage buildings dating back to around 1870 and earlier.
If you are able to provide more detail or old photos for any of these buildings, please contact the
author.
Edward Biffin: [email protected]
Information and illustration sources:
Enclosure maps for Grafham and Ellington 1750 and 1774, copies in Huntingdonshire Archives
Bernard-Sparrow Estate map 1850, enhanced 1866, copy in Huntingdonshire Archives
Ordnance Survey 1: 2500, 1880, 1887 and 1926 editions, variously held by Huntingdonshire District
Council and by Edward Biffin
Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England): Huntingdonshire, 1926, including illustrations
of some buildings now demolished.
Local Photographs taken by Edward Biffin between 1975 and 2020
Historic England Archive 1999-2008, including photographs copyright D J Stacey and Roger Ashley
Nonconformist Chapels and Meeting Houses in Eastern England, English Heritage 2002
The English Model Farm, Building the Agricultural Ideal, 1700-1914, English Heritage/Oxbow Books
2002
The Mills Archive: https://catalogue.millsarchive.org/post-mill-ellington
The Buildings of England: Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire and Peterborough, 2014
Listed Buildings website https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/grafham-huntingdonshire plus
the corresponding Ellington pages
Peter Lane for sale website 2000-2020 https://www.peterlane.co.uk/for-sale/
Geograph: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/ licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons
Licence copyrights by Paul Shreeve, Ben Brooksbank,
Google Street Views 2015-2020; use conditions: https://about.google/brand-resource-
center/products-and-services/geo-guidelines/
Grafham Gossip: https://grafham.org.uk/index.php/grafham-gossip/, including copy of postcard
supplied by Stephen Comfort-Mason, Missouri, USA.
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Grafham’s Heritage Buildings All buildings thought to be over 150 years old. List goes west, south, south-east, east and north from the ‘Schoolhouse crossroads’ based on the 1887 OS 25” map. Source codes on left hand side: Listed – Listed Buildings on
https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/grafham-huntingdonshire , EM shown on 1750 or 1774
Enclosure Map, 1852 – the 1852 OBS Estate survey map (1852a – an addition to the map i.e. 1852-
1866: note that this map showed the detail of Olivia Bernard Sparrow/Duke of Manchester lands
only so Vicarage, Armstrong and smaller landowners properties tended to show a blank space).
Listed, 1852a
Village Farm: c 1860 farmhouse built by Manchester Estate. T-plan, gault brick with red and black brick details. Steeply pitched, plain tiled roof. Listed for polychrome brick details.
EM Smithy, single storey stock brick so may be an 1850’s
rebuild… Not shown on 1852 map as this was Vicarage land.
EM?, 1852 Farm Stables, but shown as 4/5 small separate buildings on
enclosure map, shown as existing on 1852 Estate map; now converted to 5 residences - Lakeside Mews
EM 8-10 Church Road; buildings shown on site on 1750/1774
enclosure maps but these look later – replacements? Not shown clearly on 1852 map as this was Vicarage land.
Listed, EM, 1852?
20 Church Road, otherwise The Pied Horse: C18 house with outshut at rear. Local red brick. Plain tiled with gable end parapets and saw tooth eaves cornice. Two storeys and attics. Was inn for c20 years. Only ‘indicated’ on 1852 Estate map – vicarage land.
Listed Grade I, EM, 1852
All Saints Church: Parish church mainly C14 but plan suggests an earlier church on site; nave, north aisle, south chapel and porch and chancel. Late C14 west tower with broach spire.
Listed, EM, 1852
The Rectory with outbuildings by road: mainly late C18 or early C19 (but 2 bays remain from an early Cl7 red brick house on the site, tiled and of 2 storeys, refronted in gault brick in c 1830). Late C18 two storey addition to south - local red brick with early C19 stucco façade, steeply pitched, slate roof with end stacks. Early C19 addition to west. Low pitched, hipped, slate roof. Some outbuildings shown on EM but not quite as they are now – rebuilt?
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1852 Rose Cottage, does not appear on Enclosure maps. Build consistent with earlier 19th C.
Listed, EM, 1852
Cottage & 2 separate outbuildings at Manor House Site: C17 cottage with single storey addition to west. Colourwashed brick. Steeply pitched, plain tiled roof with gable end stack and large, projecting side stack to west. One storey and attics. Outbuildings gone. The site of the medieval/15thC Engaine Manor House may still survive under the caravan site and may repay archaeological investigation.
1852
2 cottages at Ambleside, now one dwelling. Deeds give date of ?1780, made of earlier smaller red bricks, ?-from demolished Manor House.
8 cottages at Orchard Row (only just indicated on 1852 map
(Armstrong Property). Orchard said to be on opposite side of road.
EM Hill Farm and farm buildings, farm said to date from early
19thC but a building marked on both 1750 and 1774 enclosure maps. Not on 1850 estate map as Armstrong territory.
1852a Church Hill 2 cottages in Duke of Manchester polychrome
brick style. Entry on 1852 map looks like an addition.
1852 School and Schoolhouse, said to date from 1815, marked as
school 1852. Extended 1870. Closed mid 1960’s and now two separate dwellings.
1852a Top Farm cottages in Duke of Manchester polychrome brick
style. Entry on 1852 map looks like an addition – ‘New Cottages’.
3 & 4 Model Farm Cottages
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1 & 2 Model Farm Cottages
Listed, EM? Model Farm and farm buildings: farmhouse, c 1834, and
probably built for Manchester Estate. Gault brick, painted with hipped, tiled roof and dentil eaves cornice. Two storeys. Covered yard, dated 1834, of gault brick. Parallel linked ranges with 5 linked gables of 1854. Farm buildings near this location are noted on the enclosure maps, presumably rebuilt in 1834.
1852a Row of 4 cottages now 19-25 Breach Road,
1852a Row of 6 (now 5) cottages 27-37 Breach Road.
1852a Montague Arms and outbuildings, closed as pub 2002, now
Cinnamon restaurant.
Some buildings mentioned in the Huntingdonshire volume of the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, published in 1926, have since been demolished, and other interesting buildings extant in 1887 or earlier but no longer with us, are worthy of record:
EM 2 cottages where 18 Church road is now. Not shown clearly on 1852 map as this was Vicarage land. RCHM describes as being of mid-17th C and having chamfered ceiling beams and a doorway with a moulded jamb, and had it survived would almost certainly have been ‘listed’.
EM, 1852 4 cottages at Hill Farm Cottages (photo is the old
17th/18thC derelict cottages before burnt down). Rebuilt mid 1970’s.
EM, 1852 Top Farm, now completely flattened; some buildings still
appear in a 1954 air view of the village. This farm was built inside the moat of the third and minor medieval moated site of the village. It is possible some archaeological remains survive and should be investigated if threatened.
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Scheduled (part), EM
(700m down Brampton road) Scheduled Monument, moat and outer enclosure of medieval manor house Former cottages on and to east of moated site: possibly farmhouse on moat; six cottages outside shown on 1750 Enclosure Map and may repay archaeological investigation if threatened.
1852a Grafham Station, opened 1866, closed 1959. Was village post office 1980’s & 90’s. Demolished c2004, first houses on new Wyvern estate sold 2006.
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Ellington’s Heritage Buildings All buildings thought to be over 150 years old. List roughly south to north based on the 1887 OS 25”
map.
Source codes on left hand side: Listed – Listed Buildings on
https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/ellington-huntingdonshire , EM shown on 1774
Enclosure Map,
Thorpe Lodge Farmhouse
The Elms
Listed, EM The Crooked Billet: C17 cottage of two building periods,
the bays to south possibly early. Timber framed and plastered with complete framed chimney with brick stack above collars.
Listed, EM Honeysuckle Cottage: C17 cottage, three unit plan, timber
framed and plastered, thatched roof.
Listed, EM Pear Tree Meadow: Cl7 cottage, timber framed and
plastered. Half-hipped thatched roof. Three unit plan, one storey and attic. Renovated.
Listed, EM Albion Cottage, cottage of two building periods, C17 and
C18 replacement to east of central stack. Lobby entry, two-unit plan. Timber frame with modern brick nogging, thatched roof
Listed, EM Tudor Cottage: late C17 timber framed and plastered
cottage, thatched roof. One storey and attic.
EM? Rose Cottage; the enclosure maps mark something on
this corner in 1774, but whether that is the present Rose Cottage is not clear.
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Adelaide Cottage
Ellington School (now Village Hall)
EM Honey Cottage (and outbuildings, now garden area).
Buildings are marked on this corner in 1774 in the same alignments as the present buildings.
EM Greenways: a former late 17th C timber framed barn
which was two cottages by 1880. Pantile roof. Extended to the west and south in late 20th C.
Little Bank House
Maiden Cottage
The Stables: two thirds of the inner farm buildings of
College Farm, now smaller commercial units
Listed, EM Brook Cottage: L-plan farmhouse of three building
periods, the earliest a remnant of an open hall, with original smoke blackened collar rafter roof, to rear of late C16 two storey timber framed and plastered addition, jettied to north-east with exposed frame and half-hipped roof. In late C17 rendered brick wing added to south-east, two storeys with shallow parapet gable and end stack. Inserted hall floor and chimney stack late C17.
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Listed, EM College Farm: C16 farmhouse with an original four-unit plan including a two-bayed open hall with C17 inserted brick stack and chamber floor. Timber framed with roughcast render.
Listed, EM Brook House: Original C17 three-unit plan cottage, timber
framed and plastered, with plain tile roof and large brick stack in west gable wall. Mid C19 two storey, gault brick addition built to the north with two projecting wings and plain tile roofs. Wing to west provided the dairy and small cellar with beer stall.
Whiteleather Lodge, together with outbuildings.
Listed, EM The Mermaid: early C17 timber framed and plastered
main range originally jettied to the street, with later C17 painted brick extension to the west with tumbled parapet gable and end stack. Rear wing, timber framed and plastered, may be mediaeval and similar to Brookside.
The Beehive, including outbuildings to west
Listed, EM The Stores: Originally a C17 farmhouse, three-unit plan,
timber framed and plastered with continuous jetty underbuilt in painted brick. Thatched and partly plain tiled roof, half-hipped to south. At one time the building was a tailor's shop and the first post office.
Listed, EM Oakley Cottage: mid C19 painted brick cottage with
shallow, low pitched slate roof and end stacks. Stack to west original to the single storey C17 cottage, timber framed and thatched, of which one bay remains to west and was the cobbler's shop.
Listed Grade I, EM
Parish Church of All Saints: largely late C14 and early C15. Of the earlier church the C13 chancel arch remains in situ. South aisle C14, tower c.1400 rebuilt at same time as the nave arcades, north aisle and south porch. Chancel rebuilt in 1863 (Scott?). Spire restored in 1889. Outside Table tomb 1802 to Thomas Ladds, and a pair of table tombs probably erected in 1599 using C14 side panels and C13 top slabs. Also listed is the War Memorial of 1920.
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Listed Hill House: mid C19 gault brick house, T plan, two storeys with gabled wing to east. Stables/outbuildings to rear.
EM Yew Tree House: older part of house S and E was RCHM
monument 7 but not dated. Later additions to N and W.
Listed, EM The Cottage: Timber framed and plastered cottage
parallel to the road, of two building periods. Two bays to east C16 and two bays to west of chimney late Cl7 replacing original hall. Thatched roof.
Manor Farm Cottages.
Listed, EM Manor Farmhouse aka Red Lodge: late Cl7 farmhouse,
timber framed and plastered with two parallel rear wings and stair turret. An earlier timber framed building on the site is incorporated into the present building up to first floor level.
Listed, EM Yew Tree Farm: Late C16 farmhouse, timber framed and plastered with modern brick nogging in east gable wall. C19 painted brick and pantiled lean-to to north. One storey and attic. Thatched, half-hipped roof.
Listed, EM Cottages opposite and NE of previous noted by RCHM as
having a panelled door of c1700, now known as Grove Cottage: C17 timber framed and plastered cottage with one bay to north of an earlier building. Three-unit plan. Thatched roof, half-hipped to south.
Some buildings mentioned in the Huntingdonshire volume of the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, published in 1926, have since been demolished, and other interesting buildings extant in 1887 or earlier but no longer with us, are worthy of record:
Baptist Jireh Chapel: first built in 1833, rebuilt in gault brick with slate roof in 1847. It was derelict by 1972 and demolished later: site now occupied by The Gables.
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Windmill: site of a Post Medieval post mill – said to be 16th C - with a brick base and timber upper; dismantled 1935 and timber structure re-erected at Madingley.
EM High Street cottage, site now occupied by the front
garden/front part of Roseholm. Description in RCHM 1926: three tenements, 16th or early 17th C, L-shaped. Photo is from RCHM.
EM St Peter’s College Farm, sold mid 1970’s?, now occupied
by the St Peter’s Way estate. Part of lands of Peterhouse College, who were given the church estate between 1539 and 1574. A farm is shown on the 1774 enclosure map, but not the same shape as that on the 1887 OS map.
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EM Wheatsheaf Inn: 17th C cottage with a later northern addition, now destroyed and site occupied by Thrapston Road. Last publican recorded in 1914. RCHM (1926) monument 10. The RCHM noted cottages on the opposite side of the road, to the south of the present Grove Cottage. Archaeological watching briefs might notice signs during the current redevelopments.
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