Dullingham House 1947-71

Dullingham House is arguably the most well known building in the village.  Its history is chronicled on several web sites including House and Heritage and Historic England.  Rather than repeat the history this post focuses on its more recent past 1947-71 - the term recent is a relative term for each reader - and features photographs taken by villagers. 

The first photograph was used in the Millennium Calendar.  At first sight the House looks much like it does today.  However, if you compare it with the pictures below you'll note it's much wider.  Prior to 1947 the House had two large wings but these were removed by Frederick Taylor when he bought the House after the Second World War.    

The two wings were replaced by walled gardens.  Comparing the picture above - taken in 1971 - with the earlier one it looks like the width of the House has been halved - which is just as well as it wouldn't have fitted between the two trees otherwise.

Taken at the same time the House looks much larger in this picture.  This is due to the effect so eruditely explained by Father Ted.

This is the rear of the building again before the wings were demolished in 1947.  The view from the house looked out over a rose garden.

The same view in 1971 shows some big changes, more so those at the front.  Gone are the wings and the size of the windows in now what forms to new wings have been resized and aligned with those in the centre section of the building.   The viewed is now of bowling green.

The Rose Garden was created when the west wing was taken down, essentially relocated from the rear.

The Walled Garden in 1971.  Looking north from the Coachman's Cottage.

Behind the walled gardens of Dullingham House looking east from the gates of the bowling green in 1971. The patch to the left leads to some woods where the Taylor family buried their dog and put up headstones.

If you have any comments, corrections or more photograph please leave a comment or send Richard an email.

King's Head Corner

 

The date this photograph was taken is uncertain, but probably is the circa 1910.  Clearly posed for, the two men in the pony & trap are staring at the camera.  On the slope to the village green is a gathering of a dozen or more school children with a couple of blurred late comers next to the trap racing to join the rest of their school chums.  Behind the trap is the Guildhall and behind the tree - which no longer exists -  is Cable Farm.  

Taken from much the same viewpoint, but closer, this photograph shows little has changed by circa 1931. In fact, on first glance it seems nothing has changed.  However the high flint wall on the corner of the Guildhall has been reduced in height and several trees have been removed including, perhaps, the tree so prominent in the first picture.

Jump forward 40 years, and jump forward along the road, and 1971 sees Cable Farm looking much the same.  The bridge in the above pictures has been removed and there is evidence of modern street furniture - well modern 50 years ago!  

Finally a photo from February 2023 taken from a similar position as the first two in this post.  Ignoring the commanding road signs the most obvious difference between the first and last pictures is the relative height difference of the green and Cable Farm.  It would appear the green was landscaped to be lower.  Or perhaps if the last photo had taken from the centre of the road the difference might not be so noticeable.

The Pond

 

The photo above is labelled "The Church Pond".  The date it was taken is uncertain but perhaps the 1930s.  To the left of the tree is the church of St Mary's.  The building on the right is the "old maltings" which was destroyed by the hurricane of 1991.

Taken in January 2023 the most obvious change is the tree on the right in front of the houses which replaced the Maltings.

In the Facebook post which accompanied this article I posed the question, was this the village pond, the church pond or the duck pond?  A news cutting recently unearthed provides this answer!  

It's the duck pond.

Balsham Lane

Here's a photograph of the village which appeared in the Newmarket Weekly News on 12th November 1998.  The paper would publish a photograph from the Cambridgeshire Collection and ask readers Where and When.  Dullingham would appear regularly.

The Where is for this photo is looking along Balsham Lane, from Station Road, towards The Crescent.  But what is the When (or should that be when is the When)?  Comments from the Dullingham Archive suggests the 1950s.

Below is the same view in January 2023.  Note Balsham Lane originally followed the fence line on the left and would join Station Road opposite Eagle Lane.