Cows & Sheep at the Crossroads

These photographs came from Maureen Baldwin's collection and show cows and sheep being moved through the village.  Evidently this was a common sight in the village 50 years back.  The photos were taken by Maureen's mother-in-law Cora Baldwin who, at that time. lived in Cable Farm. 

Cows walking along Stetchworth Road to the crossroads and following the Highway Code walking on the right and facing the oncoming traffic.

The same orderly cows as they walk along Station Road past the Guildhall.

The sheep, on the other hand, are all over the road and oblivious to any highway code.  Whilst woolly they were never members of the Tufty Club.

The next two of Cora's photos were taken from the same vantage point as the previous ones.  

As regards dating these photographs it looks like they were all taken during the same period.  Certainly the Kings' Head and Aynsley house looked much the same.  There was some thought the cows & sheep photos were taken in the mid 1960s.  However vehicle registration on the back of the white van in photo immediately above looks (on the original photo) to end in a V year, suggesting it was taken in 1980 onwards. Even if this 'blurred' V plate is incorrect, the earliest this is likely to be is 1973 when the use of the reflective registrations plates was introduced. 

If you can provide any corrections or updates please leave a comment or send Richard an email.

In 1915 Dullingham was twinned with the town of Borington in North America.

The two communities had intended on having numerous exchanges visits, but no one except the village mayor could be bothered to book passage. The mayor's trip didn't end too well as on 15 April 1915, a couple weeks after the official twinning, his ship hit an iceberg.

When the village was discovered in 1066 it was recognised to be such a lovely location the founding fathers and mothers decided to give it a name which belied its character and would keep the crowds away, a fate suffered by Brighton. A close contender in the naming stakes at that time was Eggingham, as the village is sandwiched between two other villages.

To commemorate the twinning a pair of crosses were to be ejected in the middle of Camping Close - that's what we refer to as the village green nowadays.  Alas these never appeared as there was concern the village would become two X sited and so not be in keeping with either location.

The picture of the village sign above not only provides evidence the twinning but also show the first of the April daffodils.

The Post Office

The Dullingham Post Office sat next to The Royal Oak until it closed in...well I'm not sure.  

It's most likely photograph above was taken in the early 1930s as it seems to be part a series of similar pictures taken in the village around this time. The people in the foreground are almost certainly the postmistress Catherine Reeves and her husband Alfred 'Johnnie' Reeves.

Catherine was the daughter of Joseph Chittock who had been the station master for Dullingham for at least 32 years.  The Post Office directory shows he was in place in 1879 and he appears in the 1911 Census in the same role.  Although Joseph retired and had moved away when he died in 1924 he was buried in St Mary's.  

It would appear that Catherine was the driving force of the post office.  Johnnie, on the other hand, was a bit of a character.  In their memoirs both Joe Moore and Dennis Algar mention that Johnnie, when meant to be working, would actually be in The Royal Oak next door.  There would often a beer sitting on the wall outside whilst Johnnie was working indoors in the post office.  It seems public houses were never too distant from Johnnie as he and Catherine appear in the 1911 Census as inn keepers of The Lion Inn in Stoke by Clare.  

The 1939 Register  - a mini census taken at the outbreak of the Second World War - shows that Catherine & Johnnie were still running the post office on 29th September 1939.  Around this time Joe Moore recorded his memories that on entering the post office,

"....a bell on a spring attached to the door rang, it was very loud and seemed to ring on for ever, eventually someone appeared, usually Mrs Reeve. The inside of the shop was not very big and there was a counter on both sides with a door in front, this was always filled with official notices which every one seemed to ignore. The right-hand side was the post office, the counter was bare except for the post office stamp and pad, and a row of six jars of boiled sweets, the selection of sweets was very small and the jars were always kept to one side. Behind on a shelf stood the book of postage stamps, a pair of scales to weigh parcels (and sweets), also other bits and pieces to do with the operating of a post office. There were more official notices pinned on the wall behind which no one could read, as they were so far away and most of the printing was small anyway. Tobacco and cigarettes were also sold over this counter as well. The opposite counter had all sorts of bits and pieces, reels of cotton and thread, tape, combs, paper and envelopes, all manner of every day things needed in the average household. If you required something from this side of the shop, Mrs Reeve disappeared from the post office counter and suddenly appeared again to serve from the goods side."

Joe also mentioned that around this time the Post Office employed two postmen as well, Mr Tom Gentleman who lived in the Brinkley Road, and Mr Jim Pryke who lived in one of the thatched cottages just the other side of the Royal Oak.

For a short while after its closure the post office services moved next door to The Royal Oak.  Unfortunately this clipping is not dated so the closure date is currently unknown.  However the post office building was transformed... 

...into a charming private home (picture taken in February 2023).  Certainly Black Penny Cottage is great name for an ex-post office.  

If you can provide any corrections or updates please leave a comment or send Richard an email.

Baldwin Cricket Team

This week the Dullingham Parish Council announced in its newsletter that its has signed a 20 year contract to allow Newmarket Cricket Club to use village ground as its new home ground.  So it seems fitting to have a cricket related post.

This cutting from The Newmarket Journal - dated 5 July 1990 - tells the story of the Baldwin family from Dullingham fielding a full cricket team against a team of the staff from Bottisham Village College. Several of the players, across the generations, attended the College themselves.  Alas, the village team lost to the teachers.  

Somewhat controversially only last summer in The Boot beer garden Chris Baldwin made mention that the family had allowed the staff to win.  Clearly Chris, looking at his score, was the man who was looking to get a good school report.   ;-)  

Flint Cottage & Station Road

This series of photographs looks east along Station Road, from its junction with Eagle Lane, towards Old Maid's Corner.  Flint Cottage sits in the foreground of these pictures and, at first sight, has changed little over the years.  Dating these has proved tricky and the first may possibly be in the wrong order.

The 1910s

The first photograph appears in Dennis Algar's memoirs East Anglia to the Far East and is dated ca.1909 on the Old Newmarket Facebook Page.  If you click on the picture above to zoom in you can see the state of the roads - very rutted and perhaps not metalled - this photograph appears to be the oldest of the series. However, given the state of the roads in 2023, potholes may not be the best way to date things.

Immediately next to Flint Cottage is a thatched building of two cottages which "fell down" sometime in the late-1930/1940/50s. As a result 86 Station no longer exists and a new 88 now sits on the site of both dwellings.  

Next to 86/88, set back, is the pair of buildings which form the elegant four Victorian Cottages built in 1886.  In fact, in this picture, you only see the easterly of the pair (80/78) as the (84/82) are hidden behind (88/86).  [Keep up, there's a test at the end of this post.]

The next building along is the present day Martins Cottage.  The building which is set at right angles to Station Road is the shop called Densons.  This is adjacent to Latchetts.

Finally, in the distance, you can see the end of the cottage which stood adjacent to Nappa Cottage.  There is a future post which will focus on Nappa and this next door cottage.

The 1920s

The most obvious difference compared with the previous one is that it taken during the summer.  The horse chestnut tree is full of leaf and there are shadows cross the road.  If you look closely at the entrance to Flint Cottage there is a person standing in the doorway with - perhaps - a child sitting on the top step. 

The cyclist is walking or standing adjacent the entrance to Stony Cottage - nowadays called Tillbrook Farm Cottages - and looks to be wearing a full skirt.  Now I'm no fashionista and originally thought the style pre-dated the previous photo.  However, looking at the state of the fence in front of 88/86 - and then in the subsequent photos - leads me to think it could be the 1920s.  I'm happy to be told otherwise.

The 1930s

This photograph is dated ca.1931 and forms a baseline for the timeline for this series of photos.  That is, it's the first known date and so is useful to compare the other photos against it to determine if they are older or more recent.  

The trees which were hiding Martins Cottage in the second photo have now disappeared.  So too has the cottage which is immediately next to Nappa.  

The 1950/60s

This photo had to have taken post-1949 when electricity came to the village.  The evidence for this is the electricity pole which is more or less in the centre of the picture (removed in the late 1990s when the cables were buried).

The thatched cottage building (88/86) next to Flint Cottage has now disappeared and the plot has become an allotment.

2009

Leaping forward to the next century, indeed the next millennium, this wintery scene was taken six days before Christmas in 2009.  Bing would have been wishing for this.  The new version of 88, built by Derek Baldwin in 1983, fills the gap between Flint Cottage and the Victorian terrace.

2023

This photograph was taken in February 2013 (last week actually), approximately 114 years since the first photo in the series.

Looking West

This "fading memories" video is looking along Station Road towards the Eagle Lane corner.  In the foreground is the new 88 Station Road but if you play the video you can step back to the original thatched building.

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

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. 

Village Darts Teams

 With three pubs in the village until the mid-1970s there were, as you might expect, several darts teams over the years.  This series of photographs show not only the number of people playing but also their sartorial elegance,  To be fair to the players of the modern era these photographs were taken in the celebration of an award.  

Our first photo was taken outside the Royal Oak - that much is clear.  However there is some confusion over when it was taken.  On the front of the photo appears the season date 1947-48, but on the back its dated 1953-54.  The back also records that the team is the Winner of the Green King League and so, given this information, I'm inclined to think it's the latter date.

The photo has also been annotated with some names although there is some ambiguity as there, in the back row, there are nine men but only eight names.

Back row: Jack Starling, ... Pearson, Arty Morris, Norris Grainger, Fred Granger, Herbert Baldwin, Edgar Howe, Jeffery

Front row: Vic Cootes, Bob Baldin, ?, Bill Smith, Jack King, George Gentleman, Neily Clements

The next photo is obviously The Boot's dart team.  It's not clear what trophy the team has won but again, all players were nattily turned out.  Not a hoodie in sight.  The photo is dated "the 1950s" but a guess is towards the end of the decade.  Again we have only four names for five people, this time in the front row.

Back row: Norris Grainger, Richard Baldwin, Ron Baldwin, Frank Swan, Bert Webb, Herbert Baldwin

Front row: Roly Hardy, Bob Baldwin. Joe Baldwin, Tom Wright.

The observant might note that there is one other person in the photo.  Check out the upstairs window! 

The final photo in this series is the ladies darts team from the "Dullingham Royal Oak who clinched the K.O. Cup at the Ladies Darts night finals with a 4-3 win over the Burwell Fox". This picture appeared in the Newmarket Journal on 23 May 1974 and the ladies certainly were dressed for their success.

L ro R: Dot Buckle, Penny Hayward, Carol Wright, Shelia Wilson, Molly McDonnell, Peggy Briggs, Pauline Baldwin

A Fine Example of an English Village

This post appeared as a newspaper article in the East Anglian Daily Times on 7 April 1975.  The scanned image of the original was difficult to read but the text has been reproduced below together with images of the photo which appeared in the article.

The concerns of the villagers make interesting reading some 50 years later.

A Fine Example of an English Village

It is ironic that Dullingham - a village steeped in rural life should have to rely on the Industrial Revolution for any claim to fame in the history books.

For the village, lying some four miles south of Newmarket, and, by some quirk of fate, situated just a few miles inside the Cambridgeshire border, made a name for itself at the peak of the railway mania in the 1840's.

A railway line built between Chesterlord and Nowarket was envisaged to be a main route from London to Norwich, and the renowned Robert Stephenson was engineer-in-chief as well. as supervising 33 other schemes at the same time. 

There were other visions of the railway too. "The Jockey Club felt that a railway to Newmarket would not only be a great convenience to parties anxious to participate in the tul Pritish sort of racingt but would enable Members of Parliament to superintend race and run back to London in time for the same night's debate," wrote one scribe.

Set in Motion

It was at Dullingham where the ceremony of "Turning the first sod" took place, as the railway cut through land forming part of the Dullingham House estate.

Master Jeaffreson the 10-year-old heir to General Jeaffreson who lived at the 11-bedroomed Dullingham House, built in about 1700, had the honour to turn the first wheels of the railway into motion by digging the first clump of earth.

At about 11 o'clock on the morning. of September 30, 1846, the directors of the. railway, and a large party of dignatories, formed a procession. led by a band of musicians from Newmarket, to witness the ceremony. The railway was finally opened on April 4, 1848.

Master Jeaffreson used an inscribed silver spade and a barrow, which, until the beginning of the 1939-45 War, remained at Dullingham House, but have since been removed.

When the economic bubble of the railway mania burst, the Chesterford-Newmarket link with scrapped - it was not used after 1852 - and the line was diverted to Cambridge which destroyed any thoughts of the railway forging a main East Anglian link with London.

Heritage

But Dullingham remained unscathed at this stage, as it was situated on the modified Cambridge Newmarket link. It was not until a few years ago when large portions of railway were lopped off under Beeching, that Dullingham's railway heritage was damaged. The station was lost, but thanks to persistent protests by villagers, trains still stop there.

Near where Master Jeaffreson probably dug that first sod, now stands a signal box run by 55-year-old Larry MacDonnell, who has lived in the village for about 30 vears. It is a schoolboy's dream of an archetypal signal box. The old LNER clock ticks merrily away on the wall, while the large brass knobs and buttons shine brightly after years of wear, and an immaculate tilly lamp hangs from the ceiling.  "I wouldn't mind a penny for every time I have opened the gates." said Larry.  "I would be a millionaire by now."

Retired art teacher, 67-year-old Mr. Matthew Prater is a keen railway enthusiast who lives in the village. He has built an extension at his home to house his model railway which. has taken years to build, "Railways create an atmosphere, and have so much character," he said. 

Photograph

The railway is now an accepted part of the landscape, although the thought of metal, noise, and pollution must have long been enemies in a village such as Dullingham which oozes a concept of typical rural. life from every fibre.

Mr Leslie Briggs, who lives in the old Guildhouse, converted into two cottages.

Take 70-year-old Mr Sam Briggs for instance, who has lived in the old Guildhall for the past 30 years - a superb half-timbered and thatched building which has lured many tourists to take a photograph of it. "We didn't really fancy it when we first came here, but a place like this can't help but grow on you," said Sam.

[Not sure if Sam and Leslie are different men or if the EADT made a mistake in captioning.]

The village postman and milkman are brothers Dennis, left and Alan Algar, seen with one of their customers, Mr. Harry Starvis.

Mr. Alan Algar, the village postman, hardly needs a house number to deliver the post - he knows who lives in most houses by name; his brother, Dennis, is the local milkman, who gives an equally personal sevice in his yellow milk float; and the village stores, run by Mr. and Mrs. Francis Briggs, can supply everything from an ice-cream to a toothbrush.

 Mr John Misson, the oldest inhabitant in the village aged 93

Oldest inhabitant of the village is 93-vear-old Mr. John Misson, of Brook Cottage.

"You would he surprised how many times I have looked at my birth certificate to see if my age is correct."  Mr Misson said. He has been a beekeeper, a joiner at the racecourse, and started Misson's garage by memding bicyles in a shed.

Dullingham is characteristic of a rural villagw in every respect. So much so, that like many parishes, it is wary of the pitfalls of becoming a dying village.

Some villagers argue that children who have been brought up in the village and want to settle there have no chance, because there are not enough houses.

Mr John Turner, forecourt attendant at Misson Motors, chats with "regular" Tom Wright, who has lived in Dullingham 28 years

Mr. Harold Misson, who runs Misson's Garage with the aid of his two sons, Alan and Geoff, and is vice-chairman of the Parish Council, has been campaigning this issue for the past 30 years.

"This is a pretty little village, and we don't want to spoil it by building large housing estates. but there are small plots of land which could easily be used to build new homes," he said. 

"Those people who have been brought up in Dullingham, and don't want amenities like bingo halls and lots of pubs can't settle in the village because they have nowhere to live," added Mr Misson.

The most recent houses to he built at Dullingham are at Bakehouse Hill and Elm Close. These have brought new families to the village, and, it is argued, supplied the necessary life blood to maintain Dullingham as a thriving community.

Festival

Social life has increased by leaps and bounds in the village with sport being popular - especially badminton and there are the various other social clubs usually associated with a small village.

Most years, there is a summer festival organised by Peter and Jenny Geoffres, [Jefferies?] and the Dullingham House grounds are often used for summer fetes.

Chairrman of the parish council, and also Chairman of Newmarket Magistrates' Court, is Mr. Peter Taylor, of Hill Farm.

"There is absolutely no question of Dullingham dying," he said, "It is the best village in the district, and we will do our best to keep it so."

Only a few weeks ago, however, one of the three pubs. in the village - The Royal Oak - closed down, and there. has not been a post office for some time. The primary school has less than 30 pupils - not quite enough to dispel the danger of it closing down one day.

Vicar of St Mary's Church, Dullingham, the Rev. Neville Auster

Vicar of Dullingham for the past six years, the Rev. Neville Auster, feels that a slight increase in population is necessary to maintain the village as a thriving entity. "I would say, that the village really needs a population of approaching the thousand mark," he said.

A part of Dullingham will soon be designated as a conservation area, and a planning spokesman for Cambridgeshire Count Council said that an increase in population from 530 - 650 by 1981 is envisaged in an approved village plan.

There are rumours that in the years to come, Dullingham may be integrated with Stetchworth, the adjacent village. The argument runs that Stetchworth would be used for housing development, and Dullingham would remain completely unspoilt. Some villagers see this as "inconvenient", and slightly unfair victimisation for living in such a pretty village. But the planning spokesman dismissed this idea as "highly unlikely.

Clearly, if any amalgamation did take place between the two villages, it would take at least two generations to dissolve prejudices of the older inhabitants who have maintained a degree of friendly rivalry for years. Occupying a prominent position in the village is The King's Head public house with its pink-plastered walls, and slate roof. This is run by Ray and Gloria Jamieson, who are newcomers to the village, and come from Newmarket. Mrs Jamieson said that now she had experienced rural life, she would never want to go back to living in a town. The other oublic house in Dullingham is 'The Boot."

Woodland

Standing on one of the highest points of the village is the 15th century church, with its 13th century chancel. It typifies once again the rural character of the village, and has a Jacobean font, and a 13th century piscina.  It is believed that Dullingham originated after a Roman farmer cleared an area of woodland. Some of this woodland still remains in the form of small copses arbitarily dotted about the landscape, and it is in one such copse next to Dullingham Ley, where the focal point of local folklore lies.

A headless rider is rumoured to make a guest appearance in the village on Christmas Eve and then return to its haunt at Jack's Gallows.

Local legends abound in many villages, and this tale arguably drives the point home that Dullingham is perhaps one of the finest examples of a typical country village, firmly embedded in the heart of rural England.

Source: East Anglia Times, published 7 Apr 1975

177 Years of Farm Experience

On the 11 September 1948 the Newmarket Journal published this article about three workers on Hill Farm, Dullingham.  The three, Jack Bye, Alfred Jeffery and George Burling had worked for the Taylor family for a combined period of 177 years. 

George, who'd worked for 60 years, was 70 years old when this article was originally published which suggests he must have started work at the age of 10.  In the Census held on 2 April 1911 his occupation was described as "Thrashing machine labourer drum feeder on farm" which reads more like a job description.  No doubt nowadays in the 2020s he'd now be described as a "farm technician". 

The article included a picture of large number of the workers who worked on the farm, many of whom are fathers and grandfathers of current day villagers.  Seventy three years ago the Journal captioned the picture as follows:

"Part of Mr.F.B.Taylor's staff, many of whom have spent all their lives at Hill Farm, Dullingham"

The Archive includes an index for this picture.  Unfortunately the middle row for the index only includes the names of three men and two unknowns, yet here are six men in this row so it's not clear who's who.  The names are Jack King, Alan Bye and Jack Bye. 

If you know any names - or spot any errors - please don't hesitate to email Dullingham Memories or comment/message via Facebook

The Royal Oak

Over the years villagers have been able to frequent at least five public houses in Dullingham.  The Boot, The King's Head and The Royal Oak and, in Dullingham Ley, the Rising Sun and The Three Tuns.  Alas, today, only one remains open but at least you can be guaranteed a warm welcome at The Boot.

Records show that The Royal Oak Inn was run by Charles William Smith and his wife Emmaline in 1891.  Both appear in that year's census and Charles's occupation was given as carpenter and licensed victualler.  Emma's occupation isn't given but no doubt she was working hard in the inn as well as being mother to 10 month old William.

Ten years later and Charles, Emma and William were still living at The Oak - note the name change over the years.  Another ten years and the 1911 Census records that John Smith and his wife Elizabeth and their six children were living in The Royal Oak.  The census makes no mention of him being a licensed victualler but just a carpenter.  I have a theory - yet to be proved - that Charles and John may have been brothers as in the 1881 Census Charles Smith (a carpenter) and John Smith (a servant) were both living  with Samuel Bank, the vicar.  Emmaline Ager, soon to be Charles's wife, was also a servant living with the Rev. Banks at this time.

The electoral rolls from 1920 through to 1931 show that Richard Bye was now the landlord.  Incidentally, the name Bye crops up a fair few times in the history of Dullingham as future posts will show.

By the outbreak of the Second World War the publican of The Royal Oak Inn was Conway Lawrence and his wife May.  Also living at the Inn was 11 year old Rose Wright.  Another piece of conjecture, but based on her age, her different surname to the Lawrences and the dates,  Rose may have been an evacuee from London.  The 1939 Register which records this information was taken on 29 September 1939 and children were evacuated from London in the early weeks of September and Dullingham did have its share of evacuees.  Hopefully further research will confirm this theory.

The Royal Oak closed as a pub in 1974 but not before it became a temporary Post Office as described in the local newspaper.

Since its closure it has become two private residences and, as the following photographs show, part from some windows and gates, has changed little externally from the street.  

August 2022

ca.1974

Post 1989 - 2000?

August 2022