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Memories of Laundry Lane by Penelope (Penny) Jackson
My Early Life living in Cherry Hinton Road & Laundry Lane
Family
Ruby Gladys Jackson (Mum) William (Bill) Ernest Jackson (Dad) Sisters Ellen Margaret, and me Penelope
*All photographs included here are Penny's, unless otherwise stated.
Laundry Lane, Cherry Hinton Road
I was born on 28.04.1948 at 141 Cherry Hinton Road where my family lived in a downstairs flat. I was the youngest of three girls, Ellen was the eldest, she was born in North London in 1940, Margaret followed in 1946 and I came along later in 1948. Margaret and I were both born at 141 Cherry Hinton Road. My parents decided after the 2nd World War to move away from London and make Cambridge their home.
I believe that my dad's first job in Cambridge was at the Swiss Laundry on Cherry Hinton Road, which was not far from our home. My dad was an engineer, and he eventually left his job at the Swiss Laundry and worked for the Cambridge Steam Laundry which was at the end of Laundry Lane off of Cherry Hinton Road in Cambridge.
The job came with a cottage which was located at Laundry Lane, our cottage was number 1 Laundry Lane which was the cottage nearest the Laundry, there were 5 other cottages and as far as I can recall, all were occupied by other laundry workers.
Tinker my dog with the laundry buildings in the background.
I recall that there was a family called Arnold who lived at number 3 Laundry Lane, Cecelia Arnold was the eldest and I think Len was her son, there was a young lady called Ella and I remember a young man called Ricki. At some point, there was a baby boy living in the Arnold household and I guessed he was Len's son, his name was Kevin.
My mum, holding Kevin Arnold, my uncle John (visiting from London) sisters Ellen, Margaret, & me Penny.
There was a family whose surname was Cramer. I think the dad was Polish. I cannot remember his wife's name, but I remember he had 2 daughters. I think one of the daughters was named Barbara, the other I think was Marisha but I am not sure.
Penny, Michael Inskip, Margaret back row, Christine Inskip and Freda Mauer in front.
There was a family called Inskip but I cannot remember what number they lived at, but they had two children Michael and Christine. At the end of the row of cottages was a couple who did not have any children, they were Tom and Ivy Cordon, and I can remember when Queen Elizabeth was Crowned (1953) they let us children watch the ceremony on their TV because none of the other residents had one! They were also the only ones who had a car.
Mrs Arnold, (Cecelia ) Mum, Ella, Margaret, Michael Inskip, Freda (Mauer) Christine Inskip, & myself, I think the dog belonged To Mrs Arnold.
There was another little cottage in Laundry Lane, it was nearer to Cherry Hinton Road. There was a little girl called Freda Mauer who lived there with her parents, her dad's name was Steve.
Our Mum with her 3 Girls. This picture was taken in Laundry Lane, you can see Kelvin Close houses in the background.
Post-war, money was tight, but as a child, it seemed to be a happy community. At the back of the row of cottages, we all had back gardens and to the side of the houses was a plot of land which was turned into allotments for growing vegetables. There was also a well on this piece of land.
Penny and Margaret in the back garden of No1, garden shed and cowslip field in the background.
Beyond our back gardens was a big field, where in the summer the children used to play during the school holidays. In early summer the field was covered with cowslips, which today are still my favourite flower. The boundary of the field had a row of trees and beyond the trees was Coe’s Farm. Mrs Coe ran a shop, the front of which was on Cherry Hinton Road. The shop was opposite where the TA is now.
(* You can read more about the Coe's by clicking here: Lime Tree Farm and the Coe Family, Cherry Hinton) 
Coe's Court which now stands on the Coe's shop & small holding.
Ellen went to Morley School and when she left there she went to Coleridge School. With all the building that was going on in this area two new schools were built, Queen Edith School and Netherhall Secondary School. Margaret went to Morley School but when Queen Edith was built, she moved there and then went on to Netherhall. I went to Queen Edith and then to Netherhall, but we both hated school.
Laundry Lane Children c.1953. This was taken at the back our house, the girl at the back was our eldest sister Ellen, I am front-left and Margaret is front right, I think the two girls in the middle of the front row are the Cramer sisters. The Laundry building is in the background.
In the Early 1960s, I am not sure of the date, but I know I was at Netherhall School at the time, we learned that the field that was playing field, at the back of the cottages had been sold and houses were to be built, and Derwent Close was born, building proceeded and we were surrounded by a building site. At the time it seemed like a huge number of houses were being built, but worse was to come, the houses that we lived in were to be demolished to be part of the new build, I think there are garages where our houses used to be. The workers from the Laundry were given new homes on Derwent Close, wonderful we thought, brand new houses with a bathroom! I can remember our old cottage being demolished, Margaret and I watched out of our new bedroom window, and we could see all the pictures of pop stars still clinging to the walls of our old bedroom as they demolished the cottages.
I was 14, Margaret had left school and had a job and Ellen had been married for a couple of years and they lived in a flat in Station Road. Dad came home from work one night and he had to tell us he had been made redundant from his job, so he had to find us somewhere else to live. Margaret and I were really upset, we did not want to move!
But Dad sorted it out, he got another job, at the Cambridge pumping station (now the Museum of Technology) , and the council rented us a house, but the house was on the other side of town, Arbury Estate, it seemed miles away from our friends, but there was no other option. It was winter 1962 when we moved, Dad and Margaret had to go to work, so Mum and I had to sort out the moving, we had a removal company move us, and when they had finished, I had to take the key to the house back to the manager of the Laundry, I think his name was Mr Dorsey. We then ordered a taxi and together with the cat and Tinker the dog we arrived at our new home. It was freezing cold, the house was brand new, and I think it was colder inside than out. Dad eventually ended up working for the University in the Engineering Department, being in charge of the boilers in the teaching lab.
So, our new life began. The next morning it was freezing cold, but my sister had to go to work and I had to go to school. But to go to Netherhall school involved 2 buses each way, nightmare!
Dad & me on holiday at Shanklin Isle Of Wight (1960/61)
Christmas came and went and School Easter Holidays in 1963 were on the horizon, I knew I did not want to stay at school any longer, so I went to talk to the Head Teacher of Netherhall at the time, Miss Wilkinson, I told her I wanted to leave school, but she said I was only 14 and could not leave. She looked at the calendar and said, you will be fifteen in the Easter holidays, if you find a job that you can start when you are fifteen you can leave. That is what I did! Murketts Motor Vehicle Company had a repair workshop in Histon Road and I became a receptionist, telephonist and general office worker. It was a bit of a shock as I was very shy, and most of the staff were men.
Looking back, I had a very happy childhood, we did not have much money, but we had a good time, and we made the most of what we had. Looking at the recent pictures that my husband Nick took the other day of Laundry Lane, it made me sad to see how neglected it is now. But that is progress for you! After my marriage to Nick in 1968, our first home was at Swann’s Terrace (off Mill Road) before moving to Shepherds Close Cherry Hinton where we resided for 45 years bringing up our two boys before moving to Church End in 2015.
Penny Nicholas (Jackson)
18.09.2023
The Laundry Lane / Arnold Layne Pink Floyd Connection.
Added by D J (Nick) Nicholas
The story of the Pink Floyd song Arnold Layne has never been fully explained, and probably never will, the Lane although called Laundry Lane had so many Arnolds living there in the very early days, it was called (unofficially) Arnold Lane. If you listen to the lyrics of Arnold Lane by the Floyd, you will gather that it is pertinent to an individual (known to the police) as an alcoholic, and a thief who stole items of clothing from the washing lines in the area, it is believed he was an Arnold (one of the many that lived in the Laundry Lane cottages) and as the nearby Homerton Colleges had lots of ladies lodging in the area, it was a like a child in a sweet factory, with an abundance of quality undergarments to pilfer. He also had an illegal still in a shed at the back of the cottages where he brewed illegal hooch and sold it on.
The connection here is that Kevin Arnold was a friend of Roger (Syd) Barret and it was one of Kevin's relatives that was the perpetrator of these acts. Obviously he not only stole ladies' clothes, but men's attire as well, as it is rumoured that Syd Barret was one of his customers, (Syd being totally unaware of where the booty came from) He was eventually caught and served time for his misdemeanours. Hence it can be assumed that Syd used this knowledge to pen the song, Arnold Layne. Below I have written down an abridged version of the lyrics. Arnold Layne had a strange hobby Collecting clothes Moonshine, washing line They suit him fine On the wall hung a tall mirror Distorted view See-through, baby blue He dug it Oh, Arnold Layne It's not the same Takes two to know Two to know Why can't you see? Now he's caught A nasty sort of person They gave him time Doors bang, chain gang He hates it Oh, Arnold Layne It's not the same Takes two to know Two to know Why can't you see? The song was Pink Floyd's 1st Single and was recorded on Feb 8th & was released on the 11th March 1967. DJN (Nick) 
Pink Floyd, Arnold Layne Album Cover - M. Bullivant
Michelle's Notes - A draft History of Cambridge Steam Laundry:
Laundry work was a traditional trade in Cherry Hinton, usually carried out by women of the village. The main clients were the colleges of Cambridge University, but the laundries also served local hotels, schools and families.
Cherry Hinton Village Sign which depicts laundry as part of its history.
Before motorised vehicles, the washing would have been delivered and picked up by horse and cart or donkey and cart.
With the rise of the steam-powered industry in the later Victorian period, the traditional manual laundries were overtaken by mechanised steam laundries. With the establishment of the Cambridge Steam Laundry in 1881, in the fields west of Cherry Hinton village, much of the trade soon diverted there.
1881
The Steam Laundry was built in Cherry Hinton parish on the site of an old brewery and was opened by 18th October 1881 for business. It included a large area of drying ground. Further research is needed to learn more about the brewery that is said to have once stood on this site. 
Manchester Courier - Saturday 12 March 1881 - British Newspaper Archive
Cambridge Steam Laundry was established in 1881 by Ginn, a Cambridge solicitor, who made Josiah Chater the secretary of the newly formed company. Newspapers reported on the formation of the new public company by March of 1881.
You can read more about Samuel Ginn here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginn_%26_Co_Solicitors
Capturing Cambridge are currently transcribing and publishing the diary of Josiah Chater - you can find out more about this on their website here:
https://www.museumofcambridge.org.uk/2022/07/josiah-chaters-diaries-a-glimpse-back-in-time/ They state that: "Josiah Chater records in his diary the establishment of the Steam Laundry Company. On 11 Feb 1881 he writes: "Had a pipe with Ginn the solicitor; he told me about a new project of a Laundry Company he had in view to which I am to be secretary if it comes off. He has the offer of an estate of 4 acres, with buildings on it, at Cherryhinton, opposite the waterworks, and he has a capital man in view as a manager." Josiah was appointed secretary and the first meeting of the directors was on 5th March. It was decided to demolish the brewery which had stood on the site; by 18th October the laundry opened for business. The first customers were Cavendish College and Mrs Todhunter, wife of Isaac Todhunter, honorary fellow of St John’s College. Josiah as secretary was paid £25 per year, the manager was paid £1 per week and the manageress £1 10s per week.
By February 1882 there were problems though. Josiah found the books in a bad state and did not think that the manager and his wife were competent. There had been many mistakes in sending linen back home. Eight cottages for workers had been built near the laundry and a Dr Cunningham, a graduate of Harvard then living in Cambridge, had been consulted on the problem of disposing of the soap suds without interfering with the sewage system." (Capturing Cambridge)
1882
In January 1882 we find evidence of the trouble referred to by Josiah above, in the form of an advert for a Forewoman for the Laundry who "must understand book-keeping": 
Cambridge Independent Press - Saturday 21 January 1882
By March 1882 we begin to see the first advertising for custom by the new Cambridge Steam Laundry Company. The advert below ran for several months in various publications.
Cambridge Independent Press - Saturday 11 March 1882 - British Newspaper Archive
The advert above states that full information may be obtained from No. 2 Alexandra Street, Cambridge. This was the office of the Cambridge Reform Building Company. This office was given up quickly because it was too small and moved to 5 Alexandra Street.
You can read more about Alexandra Street on Capturing Cambridge here: https://capturingcambridge.org/museum-of-cambridge/museum-exhibit-stories/7-alexandra-street/ 
OS 25" 1888 (surveyed 1885) Showing the site of the newly established Cambridge Steam Laundry with its drying field and lane leading to the workers houses (left side of the picture above - Cherry Hinton Hall is shown to the right side of the picture above with Coe's Market Garden Farm (Lime Tree Farm) in the centre with its orchards.
OS 25" 1888 (Surveyed 1886) Showing close up of the Cambridge Steam Laundry and workers houses, with Coe's farm and orchard bottom right.
In August 1882 a complaint was published in the Cambridge Newspaper (see below) about the contamination of water. This matter soon seems to be resolved and no further public reports are made. It does help us identify the water source being used for the works. The article refers to an open ditch which ran at the back of the Steam Laundry building and although not visible above ground there today. You will note on the map above that there are two long water-filled troughs which must have been made for use by the laundry.
Cambridge Independent Press - Saturday 26 August 1882
1883
The laundry continued with consistent, regular advertising for business in the newspapers. You'll see from the advert below that the offices have now moved from No. 2 Alexandra Street to No. 5 and that the manageress of the laundry is Miss Daniel. 
Cambridge Independent Press - Saturday 08 September 1883 - British Newspaper Archive.
1885
By December 1885 the manageress is Mrs Pratt. The advert below also describes the laundry site a little more by mentioning the "Spacious well ventilated sorting, washing and ironing rooms and an extensive meadow for drying ground" 
Cambridge Independent Press - Saturday 13 December 1884 - British Newspaper Archive.
1887 By May 1887 we start to see the first of many sponsorship adverts between the Steam Laundry and Reckitts Blue. You can read more about Reckitts Blue at the 'Old and Interesting' website here: http://www.oldandinteresting.com/laundry-blue.aspx These sponsored adverts linked between the manageress of the Steam Laundry and Reckitts continue for many years and appear in adverts all over the country, providing a great deal of coverage and promotion for both parties.  Richmond & Ripon Chronicle - Saturday 07 May 1887 - British Newspaper Archive.
1888 Kelly’s Directory:
Steam Laundry Co. Limited (Josiah Chater, sec.) 5 Alexandra Street; works, Cherry Hinton
1889
In 1889 we get the first look at the Cambridge Steam Laundry Company's logo in an advert placed in the Cambridge Independent Press. You'll also see that Mrs Pratt is still the manageress and Josiah Chater still the secretary. 
Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 26 April 1889 - British Newspaper Archive.
1890
In the financial papers and financial sections of general newspapers continuing information about the share prices of the company are given regularly over the years. 
Cambridge Chronicle and Journal - Friday 04 April 1890 - British Newspaper Archive.
OS 6" surveyed 1886 published 1888 - showing the Cambridge Steam Laundry and the Cambridge Water Works site opposite.
In the 1890s there were newspaper adverts for more workers needed at the laundry, which provided employment for local people.
Cambridge Daily News - Wednesday 01 October 1890 - British Newspaper Archive.
1891
The first full record of the people who worked and lived on-site at the new laundry is in 1891. The 1881 census was taken before the Steam Laundry was opened so there are no details for it for that year. The 1891 census shows 7 households living at the laundry site. James Pratt is listed as the manager along with his wife Annie Pratt who is the manageress. The remainder of the families appear to be housed due to the wives working at the company. On the OS Map (25" 1888-Surveyed 1886) you can see a terrace of 6 cottages down Laundry Lane and 2 separate semi-detached houses set back, facing Cambridge Road (Cherry Hinton Road) - it is not clear if these last 2 houses are part of the laundry houses. However, the 1901 Census lists two households (with the laundry manager & family living in one and the laundry Carman & family living in the other) as being on Cambridge Road and the rest are called Laundry Cottages Cambridge Road. It would make sense that the manager/s would have higher-grade houses, separate from the main workers.
1891 Census
Laundry – 1. James E Pratt Head M 35 Laundry Manager – Norfolk Old Catton Annie A Pratt wife M 31 Laundry Manageress – Loughton Essex Grace A Pratt daughter 6 Scholar – Cherry Hinton Daisy M Pratt daughter 4 – Cherry Hinton Fred Thomas Pratt son 10 months – Cherry Hinton Mary Ann Pratt mother widow 55 – Brook Norfolk Keziah Read servant single 14 Domestic Servant – Petersfield Hampshire Cambridge Road Laundry – (Cambridge Road is Cherry Hinton Road today) 2. John Osbourne Head M 67 Farm Labourer – Great Wilbraham Cambs Ann Osbourne wife M 64 Laundress – Little Wilbraham Cambs Annie McDonald Boarder 46 widow Laundress – Hanover Square St George London 3. Wilfred Freeman Head M 38 General Labourer – Royston Cambs Jane Freeman wife M 38 Laundress – Cherry Hinton John Henry Fuller step-son s 15 General Labourer – Cherry Hinton Sidney Fuller step-son 8 Scholar – Cherry Hinton 4. Isaac Read Head M 48 – Cherry Hinton - Buckworth Hants *Defective eyes* Elizabeth Read wife M 46 Laundress – Walworth Surrey Annie Read daughter s 18 Packer and Sorter in Laundry – Worcester Park Surrey Jessie Ann Read daughter s 16 Packer and Sorter in Laundry – Worcester Park Surrey Mary Elizabeth Read daughter 12 Scholar – Petersfield Hants May Read daughter 10 Scholar – Petersfield Hants 5. George Patten Head M 30 Carman – Cherry Hinton Jane Patten wife M 26 Laundress – Cherry Hinton Percy George Patten son 2 – Cherry Hinton 6. Arthur Nightingale Head M 34 General Labourer – St Andrew the Less Cambridge Sarah Anne Nightingale wife M 35 Laundress – Thriplow Cambs Julia L Nightingale daughter 6 Scholar – Cherry Hinton Arthur George Nightingale son 5 – Cherry Hinton Ernest H Nightingale son 2 – Cherry Hinton Emily Ann Benstead Servant s 12 Domestic Servant – Swaffham Prior Cambs 7. Margaret Daniels Head widow 53 Living on own means – Edinburgh Scotland *In 1891 the secretary of the Steam Laundry, Josiah Chater and his family - including Augustine Chater who would later take over the role from his father as secretary of the Steam Laundry - lived in Hartington Grove, off of Hills Road Cambridge*
1892 Kelly’s Directory
Steam Laundry Co. Lim. (Josiah Chater, sec.), 5 Alexandra st
In February 1892 the newspapers reported on the death of a well-known Cherry Hinton man, one of the Pamplin Brothers of the Steam Engine fame, who had a steam engine works in Cherry Hinton at the junction of Coldhams Lane and Cherry Hinton High Street.
Eliab Wright Pamplin died as a result of an accident, in which it was believed that he fell from the loft of his stable. The report notes that "Mr Pamplin was for some years Manager to the Cambridge Steam Laundry Company". We know that Mrs Pratt was still manageress in 1899, it is not clear when Mr Pamplin was manager but Mrs Pratt still continued to be manageress for some years. 
Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 19 February 1892 - British Newspaper Archive.
1893
 Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 14 April 1893 - British Newspaper Archive.
1894
There were many steam laundry businesses across the country by the 1890s and many books were written about the processes, equipment and running of these establishments. The newspaper article below discusses the wages of the Cambridge Steam Laundry Company as a comparison. 
Grantham Journal - Saturday 24 February 1894 - British Newspaper Archive.
The continuing adverts both for the business and for employees gives us useful pieces of information that we can use to build a picture of the machinery used, the jobs available and the workings of the Steam Laundry. Click on each below to expand them.
1896 Kelly’s Directory
Cambridge Steam Laundry Co. Limited (J. Chater, sec.) Cherry Hinton, Camb Steam Laundry Co. Limited (Josiah Chater, sec.) 5 Alexandra St. Cambridge
The following newspaper article from December 1899, gives a report on proprietors and employees of Steam Laundries and is extremely useful as it includes the Cambridge Steam Laundry in the listings, giving a list of names of people working there. - you'll see the error in the print calling Cherry Hinton 'Cherry Linton'!
Daily Telegraph & Courier (London) - Wednesday 13 December 1899 - British Newspaper Archive.
1901 Census
Cambridge Road – 1. James C Pratt Head M 45 Laundry Manager - worker – Norfolk Old Catton Annie A Pratt wife M 41 Laundry Manageress -worker – Loughton Essex Grace A Pratt daughter s 16 Pupil School – worker - Cherry Hinton Daisy M Pratt daughter 14 – Cherry Hinton – Typist Pupil – Own account at home Frederick T Pratt son– Cherry Hinton Annie A Pratt daughter 7 – Cherry Hinton Rose M Pratt daughter 7 – Cherry Hinton Mary A Pratt mother widow 68 – Brook Norfolk Margaret Daniel mother-in-law widow 63 – Scotland 2. Arthur H Wolfe Head M 32 – Laundry Carman – worker – Cambridge Alice Wolfe wife M 33 – Little Wilbraham Rose Wolfe daughter s 13 - Cambridge Harold Wolfe son 8 – Cambridge Laundry Cottages Cambridge Road Cherry Hinton – 3. Ann Osbourne Head Widow 73 – Little Wilbraham Cambs Agnes M W Maloney niece m 33 Laundress – worker – London 4. Henry J Frost Head M 37 – Steam Laundry – worker – Cambridge Jane Frost wife M 38 – Laundress – worker – Great Easton Essex Christopher W Frost son 12 – Cambridge Montague H Frost son 10 – Cherry Hinton William H Frost son 7 – Cherry Hinton Henry J Frost son 5 – Cherry Hinton Robert G Frost son 1 – Cherry Hinton 5. Arthur J Case Head M 28 – Asylum Attendent – worker - Cambridge Ann Case wife M 26 – Silverstone Northants 6. Frederick E Coe Head M 27 – Waterworks Stoker – worker – Cambridge Ellen Coe wife M 30 – Teversham Ellen E Coe daughter 6 months – Cherry Hinton 7. William Tingery Head 33 Foreman & Coal Porter – worker – Wheathampstead Herts Minnie Tingery wife M 32 – Cambridge Frances Tingery daughter 10 - Cambridge William E Tingery son 8 - Cambridge Dorothy Tingery daughter 1 – Cambridge 8. Arthur Nightingale Head M 44 – Brewers Labourer – worker - Cambridge Sarah A Nightingale wife M 45 – Laundry Worker – worker – Thriplow Cambs Julia L Nightingale daughter s 16 – Laundry Worker – worker – Cherry Hinton Arthur G Nightingale son 15 – Whitesmiths Assistant – worker – Cherry Hinton Ernest H Nightingale son 13 – Errand Boy – worker – Cherry Hinton William M Nightingale son 6 – Cherry Hinton 9. Frederick Bowles Head M 30 – Coal Carter – worker – Fulbourn Cambs Mary A Bowles wife M 28 – Whittlesford Cambs Frederick Bowles son 2 – Cherry Hinton Redvers Bowles son 6 months – Cherry Hinton Pretoria May Bowles daughter 6 months – Cherry Hinton *In 1901 the secretary of the Steam Laundry, Josiah Chater and his family - including Augustine Chater who would later take over the role from his father as secretary of the Steam Laundry - lived in Hartington Grove, off of Hills Road Cambridge*
Extensive regular advertising continues for the Steam Laundry in the local newspapers, again providing us with interesting clues and information about the business.
 Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 08 November 1901 - British Newspaper Archives.
1903
In 1903 the Cambridge Steam Laundry opened new Offices at 84 Regent Street Cambridge. 
Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 05 June 1903 - British Newspaper Archive.
1904
With continued drainage of the land and management of the various streams crossing the fields to the west of the Steam Laundry, development continued across the western parish of Cherry Hinton, along Cherry Hinton Road towards Hills Road, which was known as 'New Cherry Hinton'. With the growing number of new houses, streets and shops, a new laundry called The Swiss Laundry, was built on the higher ground further to the west. The Swiss Laundry was founded in 1904 by Mr Chapman and Mr Goundry on the former site of a tannery. It offered a Swiss finish to table linen. This new laundry was to be in direct competition with the Cambridge Steam Laundry. It is worth further research to see what effect this event had on the Cambridge Steam Laundry share prices. As a result, the advertising campaign for the Cambridge Steam Laundry went into overdrive with many repeated and varied advertisements being placed in many local publications and newspapers. Some are shown below - click on each to open them fully.
1907
By 1907 Cambridge Steam Laundry had progressed from donkeys/horses and carts to including tricycles for their collections and deliveries. 
Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 25 January 1907 - British Newspaper Archive.
In 1907 Cambridge Steam Laundry worker, 16-year-old Montague Frost, was involved in a serious cycling accident whilst riding a Steam Laundry carrier tricycle laden with linen.
Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 08 February 1907 - British Newspaper Archive.
1909
The advert below shows that things must have continued to go well for the Steam Laundry despite the competition further up the road, this was in part probably due to the sheer amount of new development leading to a decent number of customers going around. It's also worth noting that despite opening the new offices in Regent Street, the office at 5 Alexander Street was still in use. 
Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 15 January 1909 - British Newspaper Archive.
In February 1909 drama unfolds with a robbery at the Steam Laundry premises. This is then reported in several newspapers across the country as well as locally.
Cambridge Daily News - Wednesday 10 February 1909 - British Newspaper Archive.
Along with adverts seeking new staff the Steam Laundry continues with its regular advertising but is now able to include a phone number for the first time.
Cambridge Daily News - Thursday 18 March 1909 - British Newspaper Archive.
Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 19 March 1909
1911 Census - Cambridge Road now called Cherry Hinton Road
Mary Ann Oakman wife 23 – Laundry Hand Steam Laundry – worker - Cambridge Henry William Oakman son 6 – Scholar - Cambridge
Annie A Pratt wife 51 – “ “ “ “ – Laundry Manageress -worker – Loughton Essex Fredrick A Pratt son 20 s – Clerk Government Telegraph – worker – Cherry Hinton Annie A Pratt daughter 17 s – Cashier Café – Cherry Hinton Rose M Pratt daughter 17 s – Teacher (Pupil) School – Cherry Hinton Harrold G Daniel brother-in-law 45 s – Journalist – at home – Loughton Essex
Elizabeth Wolfe wife 38 M “ – Laundry Ironer Steam Laundry Company – Chesterton
Annie Coe wife 38 M – Dressmaking – own account, at home – Compton Devon Arthur Coe son 9 – School – Cherry Hinton Annie Coe daughter 6 – School – Cherry Hinton
Jane Frost wife 49 - “ “ “ - Essex Christopher Frost son 21 s – Labourer to Carter – Cherry Hinton Montague Frost son 20 s – Labourer to Carter – Cherry Hinton William Frost son 18 s – Farm Labourer on Land – Cherry Hinton Harry Frost son 16 s – Farm Labourere on Land – Cherry Hinton Robert Frost son 11 s – School – Cherry Hinton Sidney Frost son 8 s – School – Cherry Hinton
Emily Patten wife 28 M – Trumpington Rose Patten daughter 7 – School – Cherry Hinton Frederick Patten son 4 – Cherry Hinton Sidney Patten son 4 – Cherry Hinton Maude Patten daughter – 3 months – Cherry Hinton
Emily King 30 M – Laundry Maid Steam Laundry – worker – Arlesey Beds
Olive Harriet Miller wife 47 M “ “ “ “ – Forewoman Laundry – worker – St Pancras Islington William Frederick George Miller son 11 – School – Wood Green Middlesex Robert Rick Miller son 8 – School – Wood Green Middlesex
Sarah Ann Nightingale wife 55 M – “ “ “ “ – Laundry Ironer – worker – Thriplow Julia Louise Nightingale daughter 26 s – Laundry Ironer – worker – Cherry Hinton Arthur George Nightingale son 25 s – Whitesmith – worker – Cherry Hinton Ernest Henry Nightingale son 22 s – Wheelwright – worker – Cherry Hinton William Mark Nightingale son 16 s – Under Gardener – worker – Cherry Hinton
Mary Ann Bowles wife 38 M “ “ “ “ – Whittlesford Cambs Dorothy Bowles daughter 13 – School – Cherry Hinton Frederick George Bowles son 12 – Cherry Hinton Redvers Bowles son 10 – Cherry Hinton Pretoria May Bowles daughter 10 – Cherry Hinton *In 1908 Josiah Chater died, the role of secretary to the Steam Laundry Company most likely fell to his son Augustine Chater at this date. In 1911 Augustine was living in Hartington Grove, off of Hills Road Cambridge*
1912
In 1912 we find the first mention of the use of motorised vehicles for the Steam Laundry. 
Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 19 July 1912 - British Newspaper Archive.
1916
By May 1916 the effects of the First World War on businesses were being felt and a claim was placed by the Steam Laundry to hold on to their key worker, William Henry Wenham, rather than him go off to war, stating that if he were to go, they would probably have to shut down. We can see from the newspaper report below that the Steam Laundry was engaged in army work by the washing of army blankets. 
Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 26 May 1916 - British Newspaper Archive.
1918
Throughout 1917-1918 the Steam Laundry places less of its regular weekly newspaper adverts for business and instead, there is a constant stream of weekly adverts places requesting staff for various jobs. The advert below, for example, states that a war bonus is included. 
Cambridge Daily News - Friday 28 June 1918 - British Newspaper Archive.
In July 1918 we can see that William Henry Wenham was granted another 3 months' extension to continue working at the Steam Laundry rather than be sent of fighting. This must continually be requested.
Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 12 July 1918 - British Newspaper Archive.
1923
For a few years after the war there were quite a lot of newspaper adverts placed for job vacancies at the Steam Laundry but no real regular adverts for business like there had been before the war. In 1923 we find the following newspaper notice which discussed one of the Steam Laundry cottages. We can see that the office at 5 Alexandra Street was still in use and that the manageress was now Annie Wheeler. 
Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 26 January 1923 - British Newspaper Archive.
1925
In January 1925 Mr Rutter dies and the newspaper obituary states that he was a director of the Cambridge Steam Company. 
Suffolk and Essex Free Press - Thursday 08 January 1925 - British Newspaper Archive.
1933
In 1933 another break-in at the Steam Laundry occurred with an interesting tale of how the culprit was caught! 
Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 03 March 1933 - British Newspaper Archive.
The full tale unfolds in March 1933 in the trial report given in the newspaper, which you can read below - click on each picture in turn to see the full details!
In the report we discover that Edna Fisher, who gives evidence in the trial, is Chief Clerk of the Steam Laundry. Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 10 March 1933 - British Newspaper Archive.
In the end, at sentencing, Thomas Spriggs was found not guilty.
Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 14 April 1933 - British Newspaper Archive.
1935-36 Cambridgeshire County Directory
Cambridge Steam Laundry Co. Ltd. Receiving office 4738 Works 87548 Chater, A. B. A.C.A., F.C.I.S., secretary Cambridge Steam Laundry, Cherry Hinton road and 54 Regent Street *Augustine Barrett Chater was Josiah Chater's son*
1937
The following newspaper notice shows that the laundries are working together - how this worked in practice and affected the public ownership of the Cambridge Steam Laundry is not clear and would merit further research. 
Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 10 September 1937 - British Newspaper Archive.
In 1937 we find the first general business advert in many years for the Steam Laundry. It is much plainer than those that they used to publish before the war, and you'll note that there is now a new phone number for the Steam Laundry.
Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 05 November 1937 - British Newspaper Archive.
1938 The Blue Book Cambridge Directory
Cambridge Steam Laundry Co., Ltd. Cherry Hinton meadows. 87548 Cambridge Steam Laundry Co., Ltd. (Chater, A. B.), 54 Regent st. 4738
By 1938 Kelvin Close was laid out to the immediate west of the Steam Laundry and the houses were built just before the war.
 OS 6" surveyed 1935 published 1945.
1939
Chelmsford Chronicle - Friday 06 January 1939 - British Newspaper Archive.
A very sad tale appeared in the newspaper in August 1939 which tells of the suicide of Francis Cort Carpenter, Manager of Cambridge Steam Laundry. You can click on each of the pictures below to read more.
With the outbreak of World War Two the Steam Laundry business was once again affected.
Cambridge Daily News - Thursday 14 September 1939 - British Newspaper Archive.
1946
I visited the Cambridgeshire Archives at Ely to look at the records that they hold for the Steam Laundry at Laundry Lane. They hold a set of building bylaw plans which I was able to photograph. Cambridgeshire Archives Reference: KCB/2/SE/3/9/14843 Building byelaw plan and approval for alterations and additions to laundry, Cherry Hinton Road (Cambridge Steam Laundry) 11th Feb 1946.
Cambridgeshire Archives: KCB/2/SE/3/9/14843 Building byelaw plan and approval for alterations and additions to laundry, Cherry Hinton Road (Cambridge Steam Laundry) 11th Feb 1946.
I sent Penny the plan which showed the houses on the Steam Laundry site, and she kindly highlighted in yellow, which house used to be theirs - see below:
"I was pleased to see that the well was marked on the plan, it was practically in our back garden! It's a shame that the Lane is in such a mess now.....On the attached plan that you kindly submitted I have highlighted our cottage and we resided there circa 1952-1962."
Penny's house is marked yellow on the plan.
1948
Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 16 July 1948 - British Newspaper Archive.
The site of Cambridge Steam Laundry in February 1948, still with its drying meadow. Kelvin Close can be seen on the west of the site with Coe's orchard and farm on the east. - Air Photo Mosaic Sheet (1:10,560 scale) National Library of Scotland.
1962
 c.1962 Aerial view showing the newly built Derwent Close over the drying meadow with the Steam Laundry still reachable at the rear, via Laundry Lane - Fairley Surveys
1954
From around 1950 the Cambridge Steam Laundry had begun a new service of Dry Cleaning and had begun its advertising campaign by 1954 Perhaps this was in part because it had now lost its traditional drying ground to the new houses. For several months there were many newspaper adverts placed to call for new employees at the Steam Laundry, in the 'Dry Cleaning Department'. Mrs B Jackson & Co. 3 Regent Street, was one of the first businesses in Cambridge offering Dry Cleaning from 1900 onwards. The Swiss Laundry had also offered dry cleaning since its opening in the early 1900's. 
Cambridge Daily News - Monday 04 January 1954 - British Newspaper Archive.
Cambridge Daily News - Friday 29 January 1954 - British Newspaper Archive.
1962 In 1962, during the last years of the laundry, Mr H Dorcey of Cambridge Steam Laundry represented on the East Anglian Council section of the Institute of British Launderers.  Haverhill Echo - Saturday 24 February 1962 - British Newspaper Archive.
In the same month of February 1962 Cambridge Steam Laundry changed its name and became the Cambridge Laundry and Cleaners Ltd with Mr Dorcey identified as the general manager. The company then takes over another laundry - The Coldham Model Laundry - bringing along a few of its staff.
Saffron Walden Weekly News - Friday 02 February 1962 - British Newspaper Archive.
1969
In August of 1969, the end of the 88-year history of Cambridge Steam Laundry was coming to an end. The name had been changed in recent years, but the business did not last much longer. The remaining premises and land were listed for sale by direction of Lyndale Laundries Ltd. 
Cambridge Daily News - Wednesday 20 August 1969 - British Newspaper Archive.
By October 1969 the public auction sale of the site had been withdrawn, citing the reason that the site had been sold by private treaty.
Cambridge Daily News - Monday 06 October 1969 - British Newspaper Archive.
The mystery surrounding this sale was noted in a newspaper article the following year. It seems that after the private sale of the land in October 1969, the business had carried on for almost another year under its name of Cambridge Laundry and Cleaners Ltd, which had been owned by Mr W Shaw. It soon becomes apparent that the Swiss Laundry had taken over the Cambridge Laundry business. The Cambridge Steam Laundry, albeit with a new name change, finally closed for good on the site it had occupied for 89 years.
Cambridge Daily News - Friday 04 September 1970 - British Newspaper Archive.
Today the Cambridge Steam Laundry Buildings are all gone and in their place is a new housing development called Brothers Place. Laundry Lane remains as a rough road now leading to a dead end.
You can download a PDF copy of Michelle's History of Cambridge Steam Laundry Company and Penny & Nicks article for free, by clicking on the buttons below.
Please do feel free to get in touch if you would like to add anything to this story or if you have any further information on the Cambridge Steam Laundry.
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Suggested further reading and research:
Books that are worth reading on the subject: The Steam Laundry and its Methods - Charles A Royce How to Successfully Operate a Steam Laundry - Caleb David Patterson (Classic Reprint) The Steam Laundry. Its Construction, Equipment and Management - Taylor, John. (Consulting Laundry Engineer) LAUNDRY MANAGEMENT. A Handbook For Use In Private And Public Laundries - Editor of "The Laundry Journal" A Manual Of Modern Steam Laundry Work 1912 - Ellis Clayton Steam Laundries: Gender, Technology, and Work in the United States and Great Britain, 1880-1940 - By Arwen P.Mohun (Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999) Further Suggested Archives and Records to Consult: Cambridge University Library: Laundry books, 1956 - 1968 Reference Code: GBR/0265/UA/BG 18 Scope and Contents Record laundry taken in and money paid. Several of the books in this series were used concurrently. Dates: 1956 - 1968 Conditions Governing Access: From the Fonds: Among the archives of the Botanic Garden, personal records are closed to scholars for 80 years from the date of creation under data protection legislation. Restrictions are clearly indicated in catalogue entries. Found in: Cambridge University Library / GBR/0265/UA, Cambridge University Archives / Teaching, learning and research records / Archives of the Botanic Garden Personal diaries: Volume 39 (loose inserts), 1930 Reference Code: GBR/0271/GCPP Tillyard 1/1/39a Scope and Contents Photograph of AT with ? Agatha at St Anthony-in-Roseland in Cornwall; also press cutting re a carol concert given by the Perse School at the Cambridge Steam Laundry works. Dates: 1930 Found in: Girton College Archive / GBR/0271/GCPP, Personal Papers / Personal Papers of Aelfrida Tillyard / Personal and biographical records / Personal diaries, 1897-1959, together with documents formerly contained loose in the diaries, 1868-1959. Personal diaries: Volume 50, 1935-11-01 - 1936-06-08 Reference Code: GBR/0271/GCPP Tillyard 1/1/50 Scope and Contents Oxford. Still at St Benedict's. Alethea also living in Oxford - frequent visits. Brief visit to Cambridge - resigns directorship of the Cambridge Steam Laundry. Continued illness: goes to a nursing home in Torquay in Jan. 1936. March 1936 - has an operation then convalesces at the Convent of the Holy Trinity. Otherwise this volume contains largely description of the contemplative and religious life - occasional comment on the world, eg the situation in Germany. Discussions with Father Cary,... Dates: 1935-11-01 - 1936-06-08 Found in: Girton College Archive / GBR/0271/GCPP, Personal Papers / Personal Papers of Aelfrida Tillyard / Personal and biographical records / Personal diaries, 1897-1959, together with documents formerly contained loose in the diaries, 1868-1959. + taking on her father's role as a director of the Cambridge Steam Laundry Ltd. Writing: 'Concrete' and 'Can I be a Mystic?' both published by Tillyard, Aelfrida Cambridgeshire Collection: The laundry of perfection Author: Cambridge Steam Laundry Co. Ltd Imprint: n.d. Collation: 4 p. ; 19 cm. Dewey class: C.27.2 Local class: C.27.2 Language: English Subject: Cambridge Steam Laundry Co. Ltd BRN: 1144480 Cambridge steam laundry, 80 Regent St and adjoining shops Imprint: 1907-1911 (circa) Notes: Indexes: Yes Dewey class: P.Stea.K0 B.REG.K0 PC.Lan.K0 Local class: B.REG.K0 Language: English BRN: 1024081 The Cambridge Steam Laundry, Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge Author: Sales Catalogue Imprint: Cambridge, 1969 Collation: p.7 ; 35 cm. Notes: With map enclosed Dewey class: C.06 CABINET Language: English Subject: Cherry Hinton Road
2 Comments
This memory is taken from the Cherry Hinton Memory Books Collection which were donated to my Cherry Hinton archive. You can read more about the complete collection by clicking here:
Cherry Hinton Memory Books Introduction I am now taking each memory/story and posting them individually on here, adding in any pictures to illustrate the memories and any further points of information and research that may be of interest.
Memories of Cherry Hinton by Bryan Stevens
Vic Phillips often mentions me by my nickname “Ziggy”. Ziggy was the owner of the clothes shop in Newmarket Road before he moved into Regent Street “Stylebest”. This shop sold the most modern clothing during the fifties and sixties and it was where I bought most of my clothing, hence the name “Ziggy”. Ziggy gave me a gold tie pin for my wedding in 1959 which I still have. I am now happily married for the second time.
Bonfire nights in the High Street were something special. There was an air raid shelter opposite 197 High Street, where I used to live, and we would fill it up with logs collected from the Spinney. One Bonfire night the fire was so large that it nearly burnt down the telephone wires.
There was a rubbish dump down Fulbourn Old Drift over the railway line and we would go up there with our air rifles to shoot the rats. One day we were up there shooting the rats when the siren sounded from Fulbourn Hospital and thinking someone had escaped we all ran home as fast as we could.
We all talk about the Spinney with fond memories. During the school summer holidays we more or less lived up there, making dens, laying turf for the floor of the den, and cooking on open fires. One day when we were there my dog Gyp caught two rabbits from out of the chalk pits which I took home.
Opposite the Robin Hood pub are the springs where the water for the brook starts. There used to be railings round the springs to try and keep us out but we would get in and try to catch the pike which would be by the island. We would stand on the now stepping stones and try to catch them before they went back to the lake in Cherry Hinton Hall.
In the brook round by the Black Land allotments we would block up the tunnel underneath the bridge with a sheet of corrugated iron so that the water could not escape and we could get it deep enough to swim.
Grandma Coe who used to live at the then 203 High Street was still riding her “sit up and beg” bike when she was 90 years old. I still remember when a horse and cart passed by her house and left “deposits”, she would rush out with a bucket and collect them. She always had the best roses in the High Street.
As you old Hintonians know, my grandfather started the Stevens Brothers Building Company. He built some of the first houses for the Housing Association in Cambridge. One of the last houses they built was the bungalow in the High Street for the Bartram family (the level crossing keepers). They also built the shoe repairers bungalow next to the recreation ground.
The Cherry Hinton History Society have no record of the building company. My only record is a photograph of a cast iron sewage drain cover in the front garden of the house in the High Street which used to be 201 High Street. It reads “Stevens Bros, Builders, Cherry Hinton”. If anyone could help me find out any other information I would be grateful.
Further notes by Michelle:
I would love to find that drain cover, mentioned above, and get a picture of it and photographs of where the houses above mentioned stood. I have had a look along that stretch of High Street but the house numbers have all changed sometime ago and many houses have been pulled down and others built in turn. There is a real challenge now to draw up a map showing the changing houses/buildings and where they were over time on the High Street, along with working out the house numbering system. Once this has been done we will be able to add the information and pictures to a separate article, and in turn to these memories where they mention any particular houses.
One clue from the story above is that Mrs Coe lived at what was then 203 High Street - meaning that 201 would perhaps of been next door to that house, and therefore the Steven Bros drain cover may still be found somewhere there.
I have search the census, electoral and directory information to see if I can find which house Mrs Coe lived at on the High Street around the 1930's-1960's. The only two clues that I have so far are the picture on the left below, which is from the Richard Hoye collection - it is a photograph c.1985 showing a house on the High Street which is still there today (see my picture on the right). Richard Hoye's picture, on the left, has a note beneath it stating "Mrs Coe". The house has the name 'Temperance Villa' on it (for which I have searched many records and turned up nothing on it) and it is dated 1903. If this was the house, 203 High Street, referred to in the story above it is now known by a different number. 
The next clue is on the 1911 Census and of the only Coe family on the High Street at that date - it shows Charles Coe living on the High Street with his family "near the school" - Temperance Villa shown above would have been built by this time - and is near the school on the High Street. This branch of the Coe family were certainly living along this stretch of the High Street in 1911, did one of these Coe ladies end up living in Temperance Villa and is this the house referred to above, what was then 203?
Charles Coe - Near School, Cherry Hinton High Street - 1911 Census
We might also be able to work out where 197 High Street, above mentioned, was and in turn know that across the road there was once an air-raid shelter - which may or may not remain in some form.
I have managed to find out a little more about the Steven's Bros Builders business. The picture below shows Albert Stevens and Jess Tabor in Cherry Hinton near the railway line, stating that they are both apprentice carpenters. The photo is not dated but as you will see from the other sources that I've managed to find, below, this helps us get an idea of what the Steven's Bros were doing in their business.
Apprentice carpenters. Albert Stevens on left, Jess Tabor (Nippa) on right. Back of council houses in High Street near Railway - R. Hoye, courtesy of Cambridgeshire Collection
You can see from the County Directory extract below that 'Stevens Brothers' are listed as builders and wheel-wrights.
Stevens Brothers shown in the County Directory
Then, in this newspaper clipping below from 1936, we find that the Stevens Bros were the undertakers of a funeral! They give the address for the business as the High Street Cherry Hinton. As odd as this seems, to find them acting as undertakers, this was not unusual for joiners or furniture makers and like to do this at this time. I presume it would be because they are able to produce the wooden coffins but that's just my guess as to why this is the case, as in many similar firms across the country years ago - in fact Chippendale in London, the great furniture maker, also did the same, so it really was 'a thing'.
Saffron Walden Weekly News Friday 18th September 1936
To add further proof that they were listed as builders and contractors but also carrying out undertaker services, you can see more detail on the bill below from 1935. Note the business header on this paper and the house shown.
 Stevens Bros Builder & Contractors Cherry Hinton. Bill for Undertaker services - CHCAN Donated by Neville Cullup
You can see the details of the business still continuing in 1955 from the newspaper advert below.
 Cambridge Daily News September 24th 1955 - British Newspaper Archive
A very important part of the village has been the British Legion Hall, first a shed-like building that once stood on the main recreation ground and then, when it was rebuilt down Fishers Lane. So many Cherry Hinton memories from both of these two versions of the hall from over the years. The Fishers Lane hall was demolished about 10 years ago and now the houses of Poppy Close stand on its site. I have now discovered that the Stevens Bros were the builders for the British Legion Hut in Fishers Lane, as you'll see from the bill below. This is great to discover and will add a bit more to the story of the firm. Again note the header and picture of the house. They give their address as 77 & 79 High Street Cherry Hinton.
Stevens Bros Cherry Hinton 1955 bill for building work on the British Legion Hall Fishers Lane - courtesy of Cambridgeshire Collection
 The second British Legion Hut, Fishers Lane Cherry Hinton c.1985 - R.Hoye, courtesy of Cambridgeshire Collection
The picture above shows the Fishers Lane, British Legion Hall, as it was, built by the Stevens Brothers of Cherry Hinton.
Please do feel free to get in touch if you would like to add anything to this story or if you have any further information on the Stevens Bros.
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Here you will find the complete contents of Cherry Hinton Memories Book Two - if you haven't done so already, I would encourage you to take a brief look at the introduction page about these books first - which you can do by clicking the link here: Cherry Hinton Memory Books - Introduction
There are three books altogether and one separately written story - you can find the links to the other books and story by visiting the Cherry Hinton Memory Books Introduction page, mentioned above, or by searching the index (Categories) on the righthand side of this page or by using the search box on the right.
BOOK TWO
Book Two “The Cherry Hinton Gang” Those Golden Years
Contains memories from: Bryan Stevens June Stevens Pat Clarke Julie Smith
Below you will find the full transcription of book two, copied as it is, with pictures of the handwritten stories to compare (and send me any corrections!). You can choose to read through it here or, for more detail, you can click on one of the names above to see their story individually and any extra pictures that I have added to illustrate their story.
Book 2 “The Cherry Hinton Gangs” Those Golden Years.
Memories of Cherry Hinton by Bryan Stevens
Vic Phillips often mentions me by my nickname “Ziggy”. Ziggy was the owner of the clothes shop in Newmarket Road before he moved into Regent Street “Stylebest”. This shop sold the most modern clothing during the fifties and sixties and it was where I bought most of my clothing, hence the name “Ziggy”. Ziggy gave me a gold tie pin for my wedding in 1959 which I still have. I am now happily married for the second time. Bonfire nights in the High Street were something special. There was an air raid shelter opposite 197 High Street, where I used to live, and we would fill it up with logs collected from the Spinney. One Bonfire night the fire was so large that it nearly burnt down the telephone wires. There was a rubbish dump down Fulbourn Old Drift over the railway line and we would go up there with our air rifles to shoot the rats. One day we were up there shooting the rats when the siren sounded from Fulbourn Hospital and thinking someone had escaped we all ran home as fast as we could. We all talk about the Spinney with fond memories. During the school summer holidays we more or less lived up there, making dens, laying turf for the floor of the den, and cooking on open fires. One day when we were there my dog Gyp caught two rabbits from out of the chalk pits which I took home. Opposite the Robin Hood pub are the springs where the water for the brook starts. There used to be railings round the springs to try and keep us out but we would get in and try to catch the pike which would be by the island. We would stand on the now stepping stones and try to catch them before they went back to the lake in Cherry Hinton Hall. In the brook round by the Black Land allotments we would block up the tunnel underneath the bridge with a sheet of corrugated iron so that the water could not escape and we could get it deep enough to swim. Grandma Coe who used to live at the then 203 High Street was still riding her “sit up and beg” bike when she was 90 years old. I still remember when a horse and cart passed by her house and left “deposits”, she would rush out with a bucket and collect them. She always had the best roses in the High Street. As you old Hintonians know, my grandfather started the Stevens Brothers Building Company. He built some of the first houses for the Housing Association in Cambridge. One of the last houses they built was the bungalow in the High Street for the Bartram family (the level crossing keepers). They also built the shoe repairers bungalow next to the recreation ground. The Cherry Hinton History Society have no record of the building company. My only record is a photograph of a cast iron sewage drain cover in the front garden of the house in the High Street which used to be 201 High Street. It reads “Stevens Bros, Builders, Cherry Hinton”. If anyone could help me find out any other information I would be grateful. For the version of this story with pictures and added notes, please click HERE 
Bryan Stevens Cherry Hinton Memories
June Kathleen Stevens (nee Buffett) Cherry Hinton Memories
I was born on Friday 13th June 1930 at 39, High Street, Cherry Hinton in my grandmothers little thatched cottage which sadly no longer exists as all three were demolished to make way for shops. We were fortunate to have a general store and post office next door – Mansfield’s. Mr Mansfield was also our landlord. We had no gas, electricity or water in the cottage; cooking was done in the oven heated by the fire (which was never allowed to go out) or on a small paraffin stove. Water was collected in pails from the pump in the road outside Mansfield’s, in later days a tap was installed in the next door cottage garden. I don’t remember the name of the lady who lived there but the Fuller family lived in the one adjacent to grans. Fred Fuller spent many years driving what was called ‘the clunch waggon’ from the chalk pits up to the cement works, back and forth many times a day. The water carrying was a chore mostly carried out by the man of the house – in later years my boyfriend came in handy for the job! Grandad (Albert Buffett) was a road worker in his prime but after retirement I can remember him smoking his pipe, leaning on the gate at the top of the path and watching the world go by. The gate and railings were taken for the war effort but Grandad died in 1938 so didn’t miss them. At one time, he had an allotment round on ‘the black land’ and very productive it was. As a special treat, I was ferried there on the crossbar of his bike. Gran (Elizabeth Buffett, nee Clarke, whose father owned the bakery and store in Weston Colville) remained in the cottage for many years and I lived with her after we had relocated back to Cambridge from Norwich in 1946. My dad, Noel Eric Buffett, moved back to take over running the Self Motoring Garage on Hills Road. In his youth he was a milkman delivering by horse and dairy float in the village. This mode of transport soon became too slow, so he decided to be adventurous and started up a taxi service. I still have his first driving licence dated August 1922, he was 19! The service became quite popular, the local builders, Stevens Bros hired him every year to take them to Yarmouth for their day out at the races, I particularly know of this event as I am married to Bert Stevens’ second son Roger and the tales were told many times by Roger’s grandad. As teenagers we had a great time in dear old Cherry Hinton, the Rec being a favourite meeting place. The village had the usual celebrations at the Queen’s coronation, I Particularly remember the football match on the Rec – girls versus boys. I believe the girls won although we had a distinct advantage – the boys had their hands tied behind their backs! My good friend Joyce Elliot was a major player in our team and gave no quarter!! We also had the run of the Spinney, fishing for tiddlers down the ‘island’ opposite the Robin Hood and bike races down Lime Kiln Hill which would be very much frowned on by health and safety these days. How surprising that we al survived (Joey Ling did break his arm once!) Roger has just reminded me of when he played football in the field at the top of Fishers Lane – before the game, everyone was required to remove the cow pats! A wonderful ‘growing up’ time in Cherry Hinton, writing this has made me recall so many things, the book is a great idea, long may it continue. Regards to all who may remember me – June Kathleen Stevens (nee Buffett). 
June Stevens Cherry Hinton Memories
Pat Clarke Cherry Hinton Memories 3-9-12
My memories as a kid in the 50’s & 60’s in Cherry Hinton, from Pat Clarke, nicknamed ‘Pixie’, from birth by: Ted Chapman, Dick Tabor & Bunny, when they first looked in my pram and saw my ears. I remember looking from my bedroom window, out over the hill at the fields to the Beech Woods from 62, Fulbourn Road which is not there now because they pulled it down to make way for the new houses, most families used to go to the Beech Woods in the summer for picnics and spend all day there. I also remember at Fulbourn Road, families having chickens and hens in their back gardens, also homing pigeons which Bill Chapman from 56 and my brother Ron had who was born at my nana’s house, 34 Fulbourn Road, my nan also took in Doug Kitson from a baby such a good women. Ron used to bring pigeons home on the 131 bus down his shirt from the Catholic Church when he got home he used to be covered in pigeon shit!! I remember playing in the Spinney and chalk pits in the summer holidays all day long, helping with the harvest in the summer, going down the High Street on the tractor to Chalk’s Farm, also cutting down branches in the spring for Bonfire Night. Everybody from Fulbourn Road was there, such fun and such good memories. I remember going down the High Street nicking the empty beer bottles from the crates at the back of the Unicorn then going into the Off Licence and getting the money back on them from Reg & Daisy for a pence for sweets or crisps. I also remember going on the coach on a Saturday to see the best village football team at that time. The coach used to take us to the away game. In the 50’s, they had the best team in the Cambs league at that time, with such good players like Big Stevo “Ziggy”, Bill Chapman, Peter Dean and don’t forget Ollie Chapman who helped with Cherry Hinton football club for many a year. What a great man he was. On a Sunday you would see on the washing line all the football shirts hanging out to dry at 56 Fulbourn Road which Queenie, Bill’s mum, had washed, where on a Saturday night, Ron my brother & myself would go and watch TV, there would be Well Fargo, Dixon of Dock Green and not to forget the 65 Special etc! You would see Peter Dean who was dating Bill’s sister Shirley at the time who later married. Christmas time at the Robin Hood Bill’s dad, Ollie my own father, “Nobby” Phil Clarke, Luffy, Rocky Root & Tubby Tabor all singing their heads off, also most Saturday nights, in the High Street, there was Smith’s where we used to get sweets. Next door was Parish Butchers on the corner of Mill End was Co-op where my mum used to send me for some groceries. Sometimes the ladies who worked there would get me to sing Elvis? With a broom as a guitar then give me some sweets. I also remember my mum going to the butchers which is now the Building Society and our dog followed her in and pinched a lump of meat and over to the Rec to eat the lot. We had to have him put down as the butcher wouldn’t accept payment for the meat and reported it. I remember coming home from school straight round my nan, where she would have the tea-pot out or on the table and loads of home-made goodies ready, like Jam Roly Poly and Spotted Dick and also Suet Pudding. 9 times out of 10, Eddie Long would be sitting at the table with my nan, they were great friends at the time. I played football from the age of 14 for the village football team (The Cherries) from the 60’s right through to the late 70’s till I was in my 30’s. We had 4 teams at the time I started in the youth team. I remember playing Cambridge City Youth in the Cup on the Rec on the first pitch they roped it off, there was about 600 there and we won 3. 0. I did finished in the First Team, when I first started playing we got changed in the Unicorn. What days there were, I loved it and would do it all over again if I could. I could go on and on. Anyway I will never forget great peachy life. Bunny Tabor, Bill Chapman, Trev Clapman, Dick Tabor, The Roots, Gentles, Pearsons, Bakers, Vic Phillips and one old mate, Barry Hawtins, Such good times, NEVER FORGET “Pixie” – Pat Clarke Sorry Pixie again, I forgot Meadly Gray and his sister Evelyn & Grayson Tabor and his blind brother Russ playing football in the road and laughing his head off, all good fun as kids. Thanks for all your memories, “Pixie” 
Julie L Smith (nee Plumb) Cherry Hinton Memories
Formally Fulbourn Road (4 doors up from the Robin Hood and Little John) The stories so far have triggered a lot of my memories and stories from my dad about Cherry Hinton who all of his family were CH people. Dad, Len Plumb or as everyone knew him ‘Doggy’, as he always had a dog, somebody in one of the previous stories mentioned horses in the High Street, well dad used to bring the working horses down to wash them down in the spring near the Robin Hood and Little John the would mount one and gallop at speed with 6 more tied up behind the High Street, he often got told off for this, he then lived in one of the houses next to the level crossing with 2 brothers and 4 sisters, so there will be a lot of stories lost. Dads regiment was billeted back to Scotland were I was born and then we moved back to CH just after the war at the end of 1945, so my own memories start from here, my thoughts are triggered by many of the names of previous writers. We lived in Fulbourn Road before it was straightened, our front garden went up to where the car park on the other side of the road is now, and before traffic lights were positioned. I with Richard Tabor and Trevor Chapman and others “whose names are often mentioned in previous notes” would be always in the Spinney and chalk pits looking for meteorites, then we’d speed down the road on carts made up from old prams and end up in the Robin Hood next to the big stone that according to us had Little Johns footprint on it “traffic what traffic”. School like many others was in the Green Hut with teacher Miss Rush and Mr Reed who gave me the slipper, many years later he came into the hairdressers that I had just started work and said to everybody “I gave Julie here the slipper”. I digress. Back to better memories, can anybody else remember the day cattle got out of the train that had stopped at the crossing, they came charging down the road, can’t remember the date but we were in school. My family now cannot understand how we would sit on the church wall collecting car numbers and collecting the confetti. One of my walks from home in Fulbourn Road, to my aunts (married Gordon Plumb) in March Lane, was as you walked up the High Street you had to pass field with bull’s in, I used to bribe a school friend who used to live near the scrap yard (Richies) in Coldhams Lane, to come with me pass the field near where the bookie’s shop is now, to see my aunt who had been evacuated here in 1940 from London. She lived next to Mrs Daniels who kept pigs. One of the places where they did washing and ironing for the University is a shed opposite the Unicorn pub, dad’s step mother was one of them, and aunt Eileen did the ironing, later married Noel Buffett. Also, opposite the Unicorn was our and Mr Birds back drive to the Gardens, as many people will remember collecting flowers and vegetables from Birdies garden next to dads, you would have to go past Don Smith’s bakery ovens. Up to and possibly the early 70’s the patients from Fulbourn Hospital used to come down the High Street, accompanied by nurses to spend their pocket money. Fulbourn Hospital and Colville School used to run the local St John’s Ambulance Brigade where I attended, I only joined for the uniform. In Fulbourn Old Drift was the coal merchant, Mrs Potter, I had to stand and count the sacks that we had delivered. Another memory is of all the turkeys near the brook by the bridge, they disappeared to be replaced with static caravans for a time, now all houses. Cherry Hinton Hall was the nursery school and baby clinic. My aunt told me the extra land in the Recreation Ground was part paid for by the village people! Is this right? I didn’t realise how much freedom we had until you look back on it. Cherry Hinton was a village, even the local policemen knew everybody. Dated: 27-12-13 
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Lime Tree Farm stood on the northern side of Cherry Hinton Road, more or less opposite where the Army Reserve Centre and BP garage are today, on the other side of the road, a little to the west of Cherry Hinton Hall. The Coe family lived there for over a hundred years, originally market gardeners, growing produce on the surrounding land and fields, by the 1950's a tea room and small shop had opened at the farmhouse run by Mrs Elsie Coe, eventually becoming a small independent shop run by her daughter-in-law Mrs Eileen Coe in the 1980's, after the market gardening had ceased. In the 1990's Mr Cyril Coe and Mrs Eileen Coe sold off the remaining farm surrounding the main house, where the modern Coe's Court was built. They then had a bungalow built on the site, facing Cherry Hinton Road, for themselves - the old house eventually being demolished, as the new development continued. Mr Cyril Coe died in 2006 and Mrs Eileen Coe died in 2009. This ended the Coe family line at the site of the what was Lime Tree Farm. The old pollarded lime trees along the front of the site still remain today, and many people who have lived in the area still remember visiting the little shop that was once so popular.
Location:
Lime Tree Farm was on the northern side of Cherry Hinton Road, to the west of Cherry Hinton Hall, laying outside of the built area of Cherry Hinton village. It lay at the southern aspect of Cherry Hinton, in the Mill End area.
How the site, of what was Lime Tree Farm, looks today, from Cherry Hinton Road. Pollarded Lime trees still line the front boundary.
We can look at what we know of this area, before Lime Tree Farm came in to existence but it would seem that we are looking at the creating of the site as a farm being in the mid 1800’s.
Before Enclosure took place in Cherry Hinton, in 1806 - which ended the old, medieval open field system and divided the land up into different parcels and shapes, with new landowners coming in, some roads altered and new ones laid out - the site where Lime Tree Farm stood would have been quite marshy here and there, as it lay on the lower, flat land, which until the mid-late 1800’s was not fully drained. It is unlikely that there was anything built on this site before Enclosure. Within the open field system, the site lay within one of the large open fields of Cherry Hinton, called Bridge Field. From the two older surveys that we have of the parish, prior to Enclosure there is no mention of a farm within Bridge Field. (Saxton survey 1592 & Tracey survey 1733). As is the case with the pre- Enclosure and Enclosure maps c.1806, there is no noting of any building upon the plot that was later to become Lime Tree Farm.
It is likely, that with the opportunities presented by the new divisions and alterations of the land around the parish, when Enclosure took place in 1806, that the land required for the farm was purchased and arranged around that time. Then, with all the new improvements, including the laying out of public drains and roadways, it gave the perfect situation for a new building site and positioning of a farm. Cherry Hinton Road had not existed before Enclosure - instead there was a route, slightly off course of the modern road now, called Long Drove, that only ran a short way from the Robin Hood crossroads into what are now the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall, presumably because the fields beyond, towards Cambridge (Hill’s Road), were so prone to flooding. As we can see by what Vancouver wrote about this area of Cherry Hinton in 1794:
‘There is a moor of considerable extent lying between the highlands of Cherry Hinton and Barnwell on the north east and at Trumpington and Cambridge on the south west, which at this time is greatly annoyed by the stream which passes through the west end of Cherry Hinton. This moor is sacrificed to the constant height of water in this brook.’ At Enclosure, a plough was employed to drive a straight furrow all the way along from Fulbourn to what is now Hills Road, to create Cambridge Road - now called, Cherry Hinton Road. The main routes in to Cambridge, pre 1806, were over Lime Kiln Kiln to the Three Hills Way (that led into what is now known as Hills Road and then on into Cambridge) or down Daws Lane, an ancient route-way, now a footpath, laying behind Cherry Hinton Hall, along with other seasonal footpaths and route-ways that traversed through the centre and north of Cherry Hinton.
The earliest mention that I can find of the Coe family, living within Cherry Hinton, on the Parish records is dated 27th November 1782 when William, son of Richard & Mary Coe is born.
From the family tree research that I've just carried out on the Coe family, Richard Coe was born in 1756 and died in 1835 (79 years old). He was married to Mary (nee Witt) born 1752, died 1830 (aged 78). They had the following children:
William 1782-1783 - died aged c.1 year old, William 1788-1865 - died aged 77 years old, Matthew 1791-1870 - died aged 79 years old. 
The following articles appeared in the Cambridge newspaper relating to Richard Coe of Cherry Hinton, the same Richard Coe as mentioned above:
3rd November 1815 (Cherry Hinton Chronicle, E.Filby)
“On Monday past, Issac Henly and James Howe were committed to the County Gaol, by John C. Mortlock Esq., charged on the oath of Richard Coe of Cherry Hinton, with having on Saturday last broken open his dwelling-house, in the day-time, no person being therein, and feloniously stealing taking and carrying away various articles of wearing apparel and working tools, his property.”
March 3rd 1816 (Cherry Hinton Chronicle, E.Filby)
“Cambs Assizes: On Friday last the 15th. Isaac Henly and James Howe, for feloniously breaking open the house of Richard Coe, of Cherry Hinton, in October last, and stealing some wearing apparel and other articles besides, were each sentenced to be imprisoned six months, and to be privately whipped.”
We then find reference to William Coe, Richard's son in the newspaper article below, stating that he is an owner and occupiers of lands - in the parish. He is amongst the owner/occupiers who had larger areas of land in the parish to manage, indicating that William is in some form of farming.
6th Dec 1816 (Cambridge Chronicle, British Newspaper Archive -BNA)
By 1841, On the 1841 Census for Cherry Hinton, we can see that there are three separate Coe households:
Matthew Coe, aged 45, gardener, with his wife Mary aged 40 and their children; Barron aged 19, James Barro aged 17, Joseph aged 15, Sarah Ann aged 13, Jesse aged 11, Emily aged 9, Charles aged 7, George aged 5, Jane aged 3. William Coe, aged 26, gardener, with his wife Charlotte aged 26 and their children; Gabriel aged 7, Arthur aged 5, Walter aged 4, Sarah aged 2, n-k aged 3. William Coe, aged 50, gardener, no wife so presumably widowed, and his children; Charles aged 22, Frederic aged 20, Martha aged 15, Benjamin aged 13, Naomi aged 8, Issac aged 6.
So there is William senior, aged 50, mentioned in the previous newspaper report. William junior aged 26 above is his son. Matthew aged 45 above, is William seniors brother/William juniors uncle. They have all stated their occupation as 'gardeners', this shows that they were in the business of market gardening, and probably orchard managing by this date within the village. It is tempting to start wondering how many of their orchard trees were from the old cherry tree stock which had given Hinton its prefix of Cherry by the 1500's - it certainly leads to the thought that the village may have been a place of orchards for many generations of villagers. They could have started working the pre-existing orchards but of course, they may have started afresh.
In 1850, we then find Charles Coe occupying property in the village, in Mill End, almost opposite the Red Lion pub in Mill End Lane. The property has an orchard, this may or may not indicate the form of faming that the Coe family were to specialise and expand into, soon after with their own farm, with the creation of Lime Tree Farm. This is the Charles, mentioned on the 1841 census, aged 22, son of William Coe snr. This Charles would now be about 31 years old in 1850.
23rd March 1850 (Cambridge General Advertiser, BNA)
Interestingly, next door to the Red Lion pub in Mill End remains one of the very old cottages of Cherry Hinton and it is named 'Orchard House'. This may be because it had views to the orchards around it or just coincidental but it is still worth a consideration.
In trying to trace the branch of the family that went from gardeners in the village to owning Lime Tree Farm, it is worth looking at each of the family lines in the village, mentioned so far.
Richard Coe, the first Coe that we see in the village died in 1830 - before the census records began - leaving his surviving sons, William and Matthew, with their family branches in the village. I have been researching their tree and have the following information so far... Starting with the first son, William Coe: 
William Coe, 1788-1865 (died aged 87 years old), gardener, he first married Sarah ?-1822 (nee Pryke) in 1813 and after she had died he married, in 1825, Mary (nee Pryke) 1804-1837 (died 33 years old)- probably her sister.
His children with Sarah were: William 1814-1876 (died aged 62), married Charlotte (nee Missen) in 1834. They had several children including; Gabrielle, Arthur, Walter, Sarah, Mary, Ann, William, Jane and Frederick. They are shown as living on the High Street, next to the Red Lion pub on Mill End Cherry Hinton from 1851-1871 where William is listed as a gardener. The listings suggest that they are somewhere to the east of the Red Lion, where William's cousin Joseph (Matthew Coe's son) is living. This could be to the back area of the Red Lion on the High Street, where the post office area is today or on the other side of the road somewhere [edit: could be the cottages mentioned later in this article that lay opposite where the Post Office is today on the High Street - even possibly Apple Wood Cottage, which still remains today]. By 1881, William has died and his widow, Charlotte, is listed on the census as being a greengrocer, living in the next household from George Coe (Matthew Coe's son and her nephew) who was running Lime Tree Farm. So after William's death, Charlotte, along with her daughter Ann, goes to live and work, on or next to, the site that became Lime Tree Farm, on Cambridge Road (now Cherry Hinton Road). Charles 1818-1873 (died aged 55). Charles married Ann (nee Sizer). In 1851 he is listed as a gardener in Cherry Hinton. In 1861, again listed as a gardener, it is shown that he is living with his wife and children in Mill End Road - so as you can see this now tally's with the 1850 newspaper report shown above. By 1871, they are living in Russell Court, Cambridge, where he is still listed as a gardener. He had several children, including Elijah, Ann, Charles, William, Sarah and Jonah. Frederick 1821-1867 (died aged 46) - Frederick is shown working as a gardener at Hinton Cottage in Cambridge. In 1851 he then marries in 1855 Sarah (nee Beales) and they live in Cherry Hinton. In 1861 he is shown as a farmer/gardener employing 2 men and living, with his wife, on the Fulbourn Road to Cambridge. (* Cherry Hinton Road, as it is today, is referred to most often as Cambridge Road, also Fulbourn Road in the older census) They have 2 servants, one a farm servant and one a house maid. They do not have any children. [edit: if you scroll down to the 1883 map below, you'll see a building named Hinton Cottage, this is where Frederick and his family were living in 1851 until his death. It is just to the west of what became the Lime Tree Farm site and the next house along from Provident Cottage, occupied by Mrs Coe]. His children with Mary were: Martha 1825-1898 (died aged 74) - Martha married James Morley in 1853 and they both moved to 63 East Road in Cambridge, where they remained until their deaths. James was a shoe maker and Martha a Laundress. They have no children. Mary 1836-1868 (died aged 42). In 1844 Mary marries James Banyard, an agricultural labourer, they have several children and in 1851 are shown as living in Barron Lane (now gone) in Cherry Hinton. Benjamin 1828-1869 (died aged 41) Benjamin does not marry or have children - you can read more about Benjamin's tragic death below. Naomi 1833-1877 (died aged 44) - Naomi married Joseph Darley and agricultural labourer. In 1861 they are living in the High Street. Then her husband Joseph is listed as a widow in 1881, living in Fishers Lane. By 1891 he is living in the Almshouses (which are opposite the Red Lion pub in Mill End). They do not have children. Issac 1835-1855 (aged 18).
In 1860, we find reference to Frederick Coe, mentioned above, who is working the land on Lime Kiln Hill, this could have been general arable farming or even orchard farming but it could be that he was running a lime pit or chalk extraction enterprise as these pits were on Lime Kiln Hill and very popular at this time.
5th May 1860 (Cambridge Independent Press, BNA)
However, we now know that Frederick was listed as a gardener at this time (1860/1861), so managing the orchards which were on Lime Kiln Hill at the time is most likely.
Then in 1869, comes the tragic news of the death of his brother Benjamin Coe:
20th November 1869 (Cambridge Independent Press, BNA)
It is worth noting that on the 1861 census, prior to Benjamin's death, he was also listed as a gardener and no mention at that point of him working at the lime pits, which puts me back to wondering if he and his brother Frederick did indeed manage or own one themselves. However, although Benjamin is found dead in one of the lime pits, it was not an accident whilst at work, as it states he was 'reliving nature' on a Saturday night, not that he worked at the lime pits.
Ultimately this brings an end to William Coe's family line for being the ones running what was to become Lime Tree Farm on Cherry Hinton Road. To find out which Coe line did manage the farm, we must now turn to his brother Matthew Coe, to see what happened with his branch of the family.
The question is, with so many of them being listed as gardeners - how many of them were actually working on Lime Tree Farm whilst living in the village - it is certainly a family occupation. How many of them held orchards or market gardens elsewhere or independently?
The second son, Matthew Coe:
Matthew Coe, 1791-1870 (died 79 years old), gardener, he married Mary (nee Barron) in 1820. In 1841 Matthew is listed as a gardener in Cherry Hinton but then in 1851 we find Matthew is listed as living on Cambridge Road (now Cherry Hinton Road) and that he is a gardener of 9 acres! Add to this that the next property along on the census is Park Gate House - which is the lodge house to Cherry Hinton Hall, which was next to Lime Tree Farm - now means that we have our first clear piece of evidence that the site of Lime Tree Farm was in existence by 1851 and in the occupation of Matthew Coe! (*The farm may have been called something else or just Coe's farm, or could have been named Lime Tree Farm from the start but the earliest documentary evidence of the name Lime Tree Farm, the I have so far, isn't seen until 1901).
Matthew's children with Mary were: Barron 1822-1865 (aged 43). Barron married, in 1843, Maria (nee Rowell) and had several children including: Maria, Mary Ann, Jesse, Matthew, Barron and James. In 1851, they were living on Ely Road in Chesterton, Cambridge, where Barron was listed as being a gardener. By 1861, Barron and his family have moved back to Cherry Hinton and are living on the High Street where he is still listed as a gardener. James Barron 1821-1913 (92 years old). James married, in 1860, Mary Ann Darby. Mary is a laundress. They had several children including Alfred, Daniel (who was also a gardener), Naomi, Lilly, Florence and George. They lived on Fishers Lane for most of their married life, where James is listed as a market gardener, before retiring to their son Alfred's house in Romsey, Cambridge. Joseph 1826-1898 (aged 72) marries Susan (nee Fuller) and they have several children including: Harry, Issac, Levi, Rebecca, Joseph, Matilda and Josiah. In 1851 Joseph is a publican and gardener living and running the Red Lion pub in Mill End, Cherry Hinton. 1861 he is just listed as publican, no longer gardener and is still running the Red Lion pub in Mill End. By 1871 they are living on the High Street and he is a bricklayers labourer, in 1881, still living on the High Street, he is working as a railway labourer. They end up, by 1891, living at Cyprus Place, Cambridge, where he is then listed as a bricklayers labourer. Sarah 1827-1912 (aged 85) married James Smethers in 1849. They have several children including; Matthew, Emily, John, James, Fanny and William. Her husband James is an Iron Founder. In 1851 the are living in Cherry Hinton in Grove Cottage on Ford Way (which I believe to be Daws Lane, through my other research). In 1861 they have moved to Shoreditch, London and then on to Liverpool Street, London. After James dies, Sarah remarries Robert Blinco, who is a Shepherd. They live in Swaffham Bulbeck, where Sarah remains until her death. Jesse 1830-1909 (aged 79) married, in 1852, Delilah Cornwall. They have several children including; Eliza Ann, Arthur Cornwell and George. By 1881, they are living in Hay Street, Fulbourn where Jessie is working as a railway plate layer. By 1891 they had moved to Marmora Road, Cambridge where Jessie continued to work on the railways. Emily 1832-1903 (aged 71) married Charles Short, a stone mason and they have several children. They move a lot presumably to do with her husbands job. They go from Hawkhurst, Kent in 1861 to 6, Liverpool Street in London in 1871, then on to Cheetham, Manchester by 1891, before ending up in Bootham, York. Charles 1833-1913 (aged 80) married Elizabeth and in 1861 they were living in Fisher's Lane, Cherry Hinton, where he was listed as a gardeners labourer. By 1871 they had moved to Teversham High Street, where he was still listed as a gardener. They had several children, including: Alfred, Ellen, Herbert, Zellah, Bertha, Mary Ann, Jane and Charles. By 1881 they were living in Bull's Row, Cambridge and Charles had become a railway labourer. From 1891 until his death in 1911 Charles lived at 36 Cockburn Street, where he was a railway labourer until 1901 when he lists as a bricklaying labourer. George 1837-1919 (aged 92) - George married Elizabeth Mary and they had several children including: Jesse, Herbert Matthew and Lizzie Grace. George was the son which took on the farm (site of Lime Tree Farm) on Cambridge Road, from his father Matthew. In 1871 he is listed as living on Cambridge Road (now Cherry Hinton Road) as a Market Gardener and Farmer, farming 15 acres with 3 farmers employed. He is still there in 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911 with his wife and all at the same place, with the sons Jesse and Herbert listed as Market Gardeners too. See more on George in the below sections. It always starts to get more challenging when they name their children after other family members :) Jane 1838-1849 (aged 11). Ann 1841-1841.
I hope some of you are still with me on this... I write out as I go, to get my notes and research somewhat organised, discovering things along the way and trying to make sure I get some sort of coherent order for myself should I come back to do more delving at some point. With any luck it will be of some interest to you readers out there too.
To recap so far:
Richard Coe comes to Cherry Hinton (no records found yet of his being born here) he marries Mary Witt, a Cherry Hinton girl. They settled down in Cherry Hinton and have three children. William, their first child dies as a baby. They go on to have at least two more children - William and Matthew. Richard's son William marries twice and has several children, some stay in the village others move away and some die young. William is listed as a gardener. Richard's other son Matthew, also listed as a gardener, marries Mary Barron and has several children, again some stay in the village and some move away but his son Matthew is the first known occupier of the site that was to become Lime Tree Farm from at least 1851. Matthew's son George then takes over the running of the farm as a market gardener and lives there, until his death in 1919.
Market Gardening was a style of farming fruit and vegetable produce, sometimes also flowers, as apposed to general agricultural or dairy farming. you can read a little about it here: History of Market Gardening.
The produce was sold direct to customers, markets and restaurants. With the creation of Cambridge Road (now Cherry Hinton Road) after Enclosure in the early 1800's, the positioning of a Market Garden Farm on this road would have been most convenient to access, not only the Cambridge town market and retailers, but also Cambridge train station (and for a short while Cherry Hinton train station, when it was open) to carry produce to the London markets and retailers.
We will now start looking at Matthew's son, George Coe 1837-1919, to see what becomes of Lime Tree Farm and who next takes it over. Along the way, still including a few local articles about the Cherry Hinton branches of the Coe family.
This next newspaper entry in 1878, refers to Matthew's son George Coe....well... hmm :)
6th April 1878 (Cambridge Independent Press, BNA)
As stated previously, George Coe married Elizabeth Mary Veil and they had three children, Jesse, Herbert Matthew and Lizzie Grace. George was the son which took on Lime Tree Farm from his father Matthew. Of George's children, it is Jesse and Herbert who are still living at the farm and listed as Market Gardeners in 1911.
The daughter, Lilly Grace marries first Jack Bass who dies in WWI 16 Aug 1918 in France and Flanders. A good while later, she remarries to Walter Kester and they go on to live in Hills Road, Cambridge. We'll look at Jesse and Herbert Matthew next to see which one takes on the farm, after George's death. But before that, a bit of a catch up on other Cherry Hinton based Coe family news to bring us up to date to Jesse and Herbert.
In 1880, we find a newspaper article describing the robbery of fowls from Mr George Coe's premises (Lime Tree Farm).
October 16th 1880 (Cambridge Independent Press, BNP)
The earliest map, showing the site of Lime Tree Farm, that I currently have, is from some sale particulars of land that is being sold, in Cherry Hinton, by the trustees under the will of John Okes, Esq. - John Okes was the owner of Cherry Hinton Hall, the Hall was built in the 1830's, after John Okes had taken advantage of the land sales post Enclosure. He died in 1871 and most of his land then went into the hands of Cambridge University and Town Waterworks Company (which his brother Richard Okes was part of). John Okes had previously purchased the land needed for the building and laying out of Cherry Hinton Hall, along with a good amount of other plots within the parish. (I will do a separate blog on John Okes and Cherry Hinton Hall, I am also writing the History of Cherry Hinton Hall which will be published in book form shortly.) After his death, many of these plots were put up for sale, as you can see from the map below, on the coloured and numbered lots. The advantage to this is that we now have a good picture of the Lime Tree Farm site.
Sale map of land in Cherry Hinton, 1883. (Cambridge University Library, maps.PSQ.x.18.36)
Below, I have placed the same map again, with some annotations, so it is easier to see what and where we are talking about. The area circled in red is in the Coe family land and property. At this point, 1883, you can see the site of what is to be called Lime Tree Farm. The earliest reference that I have found, naming the site Lime Tree Farm is on the 1901 OS map. I've marked the Coe farm buildings in red. In 1883, we can see that there are three buildings on the northern side of Cherry Hinton Road and one on the southern side. Bearing in mind the purpose for which this map was produced - to show sale plots, always be cautious and remember that not all detail is always shown. However, that said, this map does give a fairly good picture and we can clearly see the extent of the Coe's nurseries and orchards at this point, marked on the map by name and the tree pattern.
If you look at the building on the southern side of the road, marked Mr George Coe. You will see that the trees within this plot are marked as being much more uniform in their layout to those across the road. This would suggest to me that this is a more recent plot or orchard trees, than that of those over the road. It is a deliberately laid out orchard, where as trees on the northern plots are a little more scattered. As for the 4 buildings in total, this is interesting because, as many of us locals may remember, from the time Mr & Mrs Coe (Cyril & Eileen) had their shop at Lime Tree Farm, there was one house and some barns out the back. So this begs the question, which one of these buildings remained as the main Coe family house, the one many of us had been in to buy things from, in living memory. We can not be totally sure which of these four building shown were occupied as dwellings by the Coe family or which may have been farm workers cottages or even which may have been large barns. We can see that there is a building named Providence Cottage and marked as though Mrs Coe owns/lives there. Next to that, abutting the main road is another building unnamed and then follows a third building marked Mr Coe. The main nursery, which became Lime Tree Farm lays out the back of these buildings. Over the road, we have the more formal orchard lay out belonging to Mr George Coe and an unnamed building. (Edit: now known that Fredrick Coe lived with his family, from at least 1851 to his death in 1867, at Hinton Cottage, the next house along to the left from Provident Cottage, shown below. Hinton Cottage stood between Laundry Lane and Derwent Close, on Cherry Hinton Road, where there are now a set of 20th century houses). 
Sale map of land in Cherry Hinton, 1883. (Cambridge University Library, maps.PSQ.x.18.36)
Remember that Matthew Coe had been first on this site, on the northern side of Cherry Hinton Road, from at least 1851. Matthew Coe dies in 1870, leaving his son George managing the whole operation. So when we look at this map in 1883, what we are seeing is a site managed by George Coe.
Take note of the the two lots, 5 & 6, which are to be sold and which I have marked in yellow. We will come back to those shortly. First of all, I'd like to just place those 4 buildings, which I have marked in red above, on a modern map to see which one became the Lime Tree Farm house that many of us knew before it was pulled down about 15 years or so, ago. 
Very rough little check of the 1883 map overlaid with a 1970's OS and then marked up to give rough estimates of where the 4 buildings on the 1883 map had once stood.
I have marked the same red buildings that I marked on the 1883 map above, again marked in red on the overlaid 1970's OS map (blue buildings are some of the 1970's buildings) to see roughly where they once stood.
Providence Cottage, which was shown as in occupation of Mrs Coe in 1883, top left of the picture, was demolished when the Derwent Close estate was built c.1960's. any remains are now beneath the road and in the gardens of the houses that now stand there. 
Once the site of Providence Cottage.
The next red building along, moving right on the picture, is again beneath more housing. Now Coe's Court.
Coe's Court, where the second red building stood (barns):
The top right red building, which was marked Mr Coe on the 1883 map, has the building, probably extended and altered somewhat, which us locals knew as Mr & Mrs Coe's shop/Lime Tree Farm.
The 3rd red building, the one that became the Lime Tree Farm house that many of us locals still remember, stood between the two aerials in the picture above (between the new Coe's court houses and the bungalow on the right).
The 4th red building shown on the southern side of Cherry Hinton Road on the 1883 map and marked next to the orchard plot George Coe, became the site of the old transport depo by the 1960's and is today the Army/TA Centre.
So it appears that it is the top right red building, on the 1883 map, that remained the longest and became the main house. 
The site that once was Hinton Cottage, as shown on the 1883 map
The next thing I'd like to do is have a quick look at the 1881 census for Cherry Hinton again, to see if we can now place who was living where, out of these 4 buildings and if they were all dwelling houses.
There is no one living in the building on the southern side of the road - suggesting that it was some kind of large barn perhaps. There are three Coe households on the 1881 census, which we can tentatively say correspond to the three buildings. The first building of Providence Cottage has Fredrick Coe - engine driver, with his wife Mary and their children Frederick, Mable, Alice and Arthur. (*Note that this is not the Frederick who had lived in Hinton Cottage because he died childless in 1867. This is Frederick who's mother is mention next). Next along we have Charlotte Coe (widow) greengrocer, with her daughter Ann and grandchildren Nellie and William Reynolds. - although I'll note here now, that I think that it is quite probably that these two listed households of Fredrick and Charlotte's may well have all been within Providence Cottage and that the second red building along, unnamed were barns or such like (not least because I remember playing in those barns when I was young.) Then on the 1881 census, in the third red building on the northern side of Cherry Hinton Road, to the right on the maps above, marked 'Mr Coe' on the 1883 map, was George Coe, market gardener aged 45 with James Shyles, agricultural labourer and servant. This building being the most likely candidate for the original farm house that George's father, Matthew had occupied.
So back to that sale map of 1883 - do you recall the yellow lined plots 5 & 6 that I said we'd come back to? Have a quick peep at them again and then look at the map below from 1885.
Firstly, here are the two lot descriptions given with the 1883 sale map, for lot 5 & 6.
Sale particulars of land in Cherry Hinton, 1883. (Cambridge University Library, maps.PSQ.x.18.36)
The later OS map of 1885 shows us the site of Lime Tree Farm and the extent of its land and orchards at this date. You will be able to see on the annotated version beneath, that George Coe purchased lots 5 & 6 and even another plot beyond those in a separate sale and turned them all into orchards, as demonstrated by the uniform pattern of trees on the map.
Cherry Hinton, 1885, Ordinance Survey Map
Annotated Cherry Hinton, 1885, Ordinance Survey Map
Lot 6 is today where the BP garage is (* as explained in a later blog about Cherry Hinton Hall, the western end of the Hall grounds were sold off in the late 1800's and the Walpole Road estate was eventually built on that patch).
Lot 5 became the Glenmere Close estate. The orchard area to the right, which Coe also purchased (or potentially just rented) became part of Netherhall Lower School front playing field (I can remember playing hockey on that field!). This plot is now under the houses of the Bosworth Road estate.
The black dotted line that I have placed on the map above shows, where today, the passageway that leads from Cherry Hinton Road to the gates of what was Netherhall Lower School, now the Queen Emma School, still remains. Many of us locals will remember going through that passage to either get to school or the Netherhall Youth Club building that once stood on the school site. It is still a popular through route for people living on the Gunhild/Queen Edith's sites to get through to Cherry Hinton Hall and generally just a good cut through, when on bike or foot.
The passage-way between Cherry Hinton Road and Queen Emma School/Gunhild Way, running between what was two of Mr Coe's orchards:
Let's continue down the time line, at what event's were recorded.....
In 1894 - we can see that Cherry Hinton had a Cottage Garden Society, in the article below, of which the Coe family were part of:
July 20th 1894
FLOWER SHOW The fifth annual Show of the Cherry Hinton Cottage Garden Society was held yesterday in the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall. The weather though threatening at first, was very fair. The Cherry Hinton brass Band played a selection of music during the afternoon and evening. The exhibits were arranged very tastefully in a large marquee. Dr Lyon's fuchsias and geraniums were especially worthy of notice. The judges were Mr. Missen, Fulbourn and Mr A. Coe, Cherry Hinton... (Cherry Hinton Chronicle, E. Filby)
In 1888 at a village meeting, Daniel Coe is appointed constable for the year - this is repeated several times over coming years. Daniel Coe is Matthew's grandson (son of James Barron Coe). See newspaper article below:
30th March 1888 (Cambridge Independent Press, BNA)
In 1888 mention of Widow Coe is made, occupying a cottage in the village. I wonder which one it is referring to - I'll try and find out at some later point - see below:
10th August 1888 (Cambridge Chronicle, BNA)
Decided to have a quick look at the 1881 census to see if there was any correlation of the names mentioned above in that article, with households living next to, or being listed next to one another. There is. We can see that on the High Street Cherry Hinton, in 1881, there are the following families in listing order: Jackson, Merry, Coe, Tabour and then Farrent. All apart from Tabour, matching a few of the names shown above in the article from 1888. So the cottages mentioned above are likely ones that stood on the High Street.
I think I know where these cottages stood...potentially. Some years ago I was arriving at a Cambridgeshire Association for Local History committee meeting in Cambridge Central Library, when as soon as I got in the door, Mike Petty (our brilliant Cambridgeshire Historian) collared me and said, get down to the market (Cambridge) now, there's a painting of Cherry Hinton that is not in the Cambridgeshire Collection and I haven't seen it before. Go and buy it quick! I duly got down to the antiques stall on the Cambridge Market and found the painting in question. Trouble was they wanted £80 for it, which was a lot to me then, anyway, I forgo my bill money and got the painting quick. Later once home, I studied the picture to work out where the view was in the village. I then had a few A3 copies of it made, deposited a copy in the Cambridgeshire Collection and Cherry Hinton Community Archives and then door knocked on a few of the doors of houses, which were stood at the site of the where the buildings in the picture were shown, and sold a few of the pictures to get back some of my bill money. The original painting now lives with Mr David Taylor, chair of the Friend's of Cherry Hinton Hall.
Here is that picture:
View of Cherry Hinton High Street c.1917
This is a view painted from what was part of the village green in Mill End (a Funnel green), where the Indian Restaurant now stands (previously The Unicorn Pub) looking down the High Street towards the Robin Hood. The buildings in the centre of the picture, above the head of the lady, are the old Robin Hood pub - the tall trees beyond are the start of The Spinny and the quarry on Lime Kiln Hill. The area to the left of the lady (our right as we look at the picture) is where Giants Grave and the village green extended to and which the post office and laundrette now stand on. The road branching off to her left is Mill End Road. The pub sign that you see is a sign for the Red Lion pub which is down Mill End Road and was to direct travellers down the road, as they could miss it if they carried on up the High Street. The building standing on the green is most likely the village pound or a storage building (it is not to say that the Unicorn pub isn't there behind our view at this date but it is not the pub itself).The row of cottages on the left of the painting, you can in fact still see the remains of today if you look carefully. The only fully remaining one of these cottages today, which is again behind us in this view, is Applewood Cottage by the recreation ground.
This view shown in the painting more or less, as it is seen today -more from the other side of the road.
Below pictures of Applewood Cottage and Applewood Close (note the name - does it relate to more of Coe's orchards or just coincidental.) Mrs Coe, mentioned in the news article above, lived along here, maybe in what became Applewood Cottage or one of the buildings shown on the old painting. Note that the style of Apple Wood Cottage is the same of those as in the painting.
The three pictures below show the remains of the cottages, shown in the old painting, that you can still see for yourself today and are in the garden walls of the houses that are there now - you can even see the old doorways if you look closely. The first photo on the left, below is looking across the road from the Post Office on the High Street. Look at the middle photo, look closer in the front garden wall and you'll see the original cottage wall and a now bricked doorway. 3rd photo on the right shows more of the old brick work from those cottages - one of the Coe families houses? Go and have a look when you get chance yourselves :)
Let's continue onward with looking for the Coe's of Cherry Hinton and Lime Tree Farm....
The first real hint, within the newspapers, of the Coe family being involved and keen on growing a variety of market garden produce, comes with the report in 1890 of the Cherry Hinton Flower Show, where the produce shown by J Coe include such vegetables as turnips, potatoes, onions and beans....(which J Coe though?- probably Jesse?)
1st August 1890 (Cambridge Chronicle, BNA)
In 1891, George Coe is mentioned in the sale of some land, - see below - which is not on the site that became Lime Tree Farm but shows that the Coe family were very much part of the village by this point, working the land and being involved in village activities. For example, within meeting reports we find that various members of the family are involved with both the Conservative Club and others with the Liberal Club.
18th July 1891 (Cambridge Independent Press, BNA)
In 1894, we find a Mr Frederick Coe listed, who is a market gardener and farmer. The report however is from the village of Histon, to the north of Cambridge, not Cherry Hinton. It refers to a bad accident that Mr Coe had. But how likely is it that this Coe is related to the Cherry Hinton Coe family? - I don't have him on the Coe family tree yet but it is a very likely possibility that this person, given his profession is part of the same extended Coe family. I will come back to him another time and add to the end of this blog, any links that I discover about this branch of the family, - which is worth looking into because this particular Frederick Coe was born around 1824 in Impington, Cambs. Perhaps we will discover a link to where the first Coe in Cherry Hinton (Richard Coe) came from, perhaps the original family hailed from those parts in the first place? and if you are a Cambridge person you'll know what one of the main occupations Histon became well known for... The Chivers fruit farm and factory, which almost every one in Cambridge of a certain age range can remember working for, or a family member working for at some point - my granny Toller did - I wonder.... given the nature of the Coe's farming if there is any link to what became Chivers... see this is the trouble! A whole new thread to follow and what starts out as a little blog on Lime Tree Farm becomes the start of a book ..... As tempted as I am to go off with this new exciting hint... I will stay in Cherry Hinton for now and maybe add on something at the end of this if I find out more - or I'll just do a separate article on it.
17th August 1894 (Cambridge Chronicle, BNA)
In 1895 we find reference to Arthur Coe as a gardener - most likely Jesse and Delilah's son. If so, this incident occurred on Lime Tree Farm site, as Jesse is shown on the 1891 census, living there at this time.
12th April 1895 (Cambridge Chronicle, BNA)
1899 and more evidence of the family enjoying village life with John Coe playing the cornet in the Baptist Chapel on Fishers Lane. John is one of the Coe grandchildren, somewhere along the line.
4th April 1899 (Cambridge Daily News, BNA)
The William Coe mentioned below is probably Charles Coe's son.
18th October 1891 (Cambridge Independent Press, BNA)
1901 - on the 1901 Os map below, you can see some of the changes that have occurred at the Lime Tree Farm site and the orchards. You can see that the transport depot had taken over the land directly opposite Lime Tree Farm and the dotted, parallel lines marked over the west end of the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall were marking out where Walpole Road was to be built.
OS map surveyed in 1885, revised in 1901.
Here's an article mentioning the marriage of George Coe's daughter Lilly, with many members of the family travelling to London for the event. Sadly Jack, her husband was killed in the war, soon after. Lime Tree Farm is mentioned by name in this report.
Friday 24th September 1909 (Cambridge Independent Press, BNA)
So back to which son takes on Lime Tree Farm after George Coe's death in 1919 - Jessie or Herbert? From the newspaper clip below we can see that in 1917, when George Coe was very elderly, that Jesse, perhaps, is already in charge of Lime Tree Farm.
August 22nd 1917 (Cambridge Daily News, BNA)
The death of George Coe is in the papers. The 'Gracie' mentioned is his daughter Lilly Grace.
24th January 1919 (Cambridge Independent Press, BNA)
22nd January 1920 (Cambridge Daily News, BNA)
The probate record doesn't appear to show that much was left, so perhaps, at some time before his death, George had handed over the farm and estate to his son/s.
Probate entry for George Coe
Herbert Matthew Coe:
Starting with Herbert Matthew Coe 1884-1964. Herbert marries Elizabeth (nee Wright) and they have at least one child, Gracie Elizabeth. They go to live at number 51 Fulbourn Road, where Herbert works as a market gardener with orchards of his own to the back of his property on Fulbourn Road, east of the Robin Hood pub, on the main road through to Fulbourn village. You can see the orchards shown on the 1951 OS map below. There is now modern housing on the site and one of the roads is called 'The Orchards' after Matthew Coe's orchards. (to place yourself - the Cherry Hinton recreation ground is shown top right on the map and the orchards are shown south of this. along the bottom right is Fulbourn Road and running up through the map is Cherry Hinton High Street.)
1951 OS map, Cherry Hinton
This leaves George's son, Jessie, living at and managing Lime Tree Farm.
Jessie Coe: Jessie Coe 1883-1973, marries in 1928, Elsie Coe (nee Coxall). They have one son, Cyril. Jessie is listed in the Cambridgeshire electoral records as being a farmer and fruit grower. In 1950, Jessie submits plans to the Council - 'Building bylaw plan and approval for proposed extension to farm shop and Tea Room, Lime Tree Farm, Cherry Hinton Road' (Cambridgeshire Archives: KCB/2/SE/3/9/17630). This suggests that a tea room was already in operation by this point at the site. Elsie Coe ran the tea room and small shop. Jessie and Elsie Coe live at Lime Tree Farm, with their son Cyril, until their deaths, when Cyril then takes over the running of the site.
1939 - The 1939 OS map below shows that although the transport depot is has now taken over land opposite Coe's farm, some of their orchards still remain behind it. This is now the site of the Army Reserve Centre and the back of the Glenmere Close estate.
OS map 1927 revised 1939, Cambridge Record Office.
Below are two advertisements for produce from Lime Tree Farm.
27th June 1939 (Cambridge Daily News, BNA)
12th December 1939 (Cambridge Daily News, BNA)
1950 - On the 1950 OS map below, we can now see that construction of the Walpole Road estate has taken place. The farm still has many of the original orchards that were purchased by George Coe in the late 1800's.
1950 OS, sheet XLVII NE 1:10000
Cyril Coe:
Cyril Coe 1928- 2006, lives at the farm his whole life. He marries Elieen Cooke, who had been previously married and had two daughters. Cyril and Elieen then ran the shop, which was at the front part of the main house, facing Cherry Hinton Road - the one us locals remember the most.
1964 The picture below comes from Mike Petty's Cambridge News archives and it is believed to show Mrs Elsie Coe, Cyril's mother, working in the shop at Lime Tree Farm.
Elsie Coe, Cyril's mother, in the shop at Lime Tree Farm, 1963. (Mike Petty - E. Dimock, Cambridge News 1963, unpublished)
1964 - The aerial view of Lime Tree Farm from 1964 shows the farm in the bottom right, with Dewent Close beneath it and Walpole Road now built above it. You can see the site of the transport depot opposite the farm and the orchards continuing over the road in what was to become Netherhall School lower, front playing field.
June 1964, view of Lime Tree Farm. (A1X 98 -Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs)
1973 onwards...After Jessie's death, his wife, Cyril's mother, Elsie, stayed on at the farm with her son, his wife Elileen and the children. The orchard farming had ceased with the land being sold off and most of it becoming the Netherhall School lower, front playing field.
My uncle married one of Mrs Coe's daughters and as I only lived a little further down the road, on Cherry Hinton Road, I used to go and play with my aunts kids at Lime Tree Farm, where we would climb about in the old barns and hay lofts. I can remember being sent, by my mum, up the road, to go to the little shop to buy a tin of meatballs from Mrs Coe.
By the late 1990's Cyril and Eileen had moved out of the old farm house and had a new bungalow built for themselves next door. They then sold off the old house and the land behind which was once the farm. A new housing site was constructed and is named Coe's Court. Before long, all of the old barns and buildings had disappeared and with Cyril's death in 2006 and Elieen's death in 2009, the end of Lime Tree Farm and the Coe's at the site came to an end.
More pictures of Eileen and Cyril and the shop - coming soon
Cyril & Eileen Coe
I have started a public family tree for the Cherry Hinton Coe family on Ancestry, to provide further information and gather more records. You can view it here:
Coe Family Tree
I hope this has been of some interest and use, in particular to Cherry Hinton residents and anyone researching the Coe family tree. Every now and again, I'll come back to this and add, edit and adjust as I get new pieces of data and information. Perhaps, you may feel inspired to do a bit of research yourself, which would be brilliant! I've started listing a few things that could be looked at further, below. This is not extensive of course but just a few things, that are thoughts to follow up. Research is never done and always throws up more questions than answers :)
Further research to be done:
Where did the first Coe come from - Richard Coe, where was he born, what was his occupation etc? Which one of the Coe's first got into the market gardening business? Did they sell their produce at the Cambridge market? what about further afield? or were they wholesale suppliers? What fruits, vegetables and produce were they producing, other than those mentioned in the adverts above? Did any of the Coe's work at the Cherry Hinton Hall kitchen gardens and orchards, when John Okes was in residence (c.1835-1871) or afterwards (c.1930 - 1990) when the Council nursery was in operation at the back of the Hall, producing plants for the counties parks and roundabouts etc? Other that Lime Tree Farm, where else in the village were Coe's orchards and gardens, if any others? Did any descendants go off into other villages and towns, continuing the market gardening business, if so where and are any still running today? How many of Coe's descendants are still living in Cherry Hinton? How many of their original trees, from the old orchard plots, still remain in peoples gardens unrecognised for what they were part of? - couldn't resist having a little general look around for this one - all where plots 5 & 6 would have been and the original George Coe's orchards, shown on the 1883 sale map - see photo gallery below. There were a lot of much older cherry tree stock along with many apple trees and other cherry trees around - separating out what is modern garden planting, to what remains of any of the Coe's orchard stock and the descendant trees is a challenge that would need revisiting. Find out more about Frederick Coe born 1824, market gardener of Histon and see if there are any links to the Cherry Hinton Coe's and also to what eventually became Chiver's of Histon? Other pictures of the Coe family/Lime Tree Farm site.
Looking for old fruit tree stock, from Lime Tree Farm, that may remain today.
Below: Coe burials in St Andrew's Church Yard, Cherry Hinton. These are from the survey's and records which myself and Mr Clarke made in 2005.
Update on the Coe/Chivers connection - so, do you remember the Frederick Coe, mentioned in the newspaper article of 1894 above, who wasn't part of the Cherry Hinton Coe's but was a market gardener living in Histon? I had not only wondered if they was a link to the Cherry Hinton Coe family - still looking at that - but if there had been a link to Chivers of Histon, the famous fruit growers and jam makers...well, there is of sorts. Frederick Coe, his wife Susannah and their children live next door to Stephen Chivers, with his wife Rebbecca and their children - as shown on the 1861 census. The two families live north east of the green in Histon and Steven Chivers is a farmer and gardener of 140 acres, employing 9 men and 5 boys - it is Steven Chivers who starts the great Chivers enterprise. So they were at least neighbours, in dwelling and fields. In addition to this their family links go back a little further as Frederick's father, James Coe, also a gardener is living next door to John Chivers in 1832.
In addition to that the next thing I find out is that Frederick Coe takes a Thomas Chivers to court over damage of his market garden produce - see article below - so although it is not currently a connection in quite the way I'd imagined, it is still something worthy of note and interest. 
Cambridge Independent Press, September 1888 (BNA)
Although this strays a little from sticking to Cherry Hinton history, I couldn't resist sharing this with you too. The article below describes a tragic incident involving James Coe, Frederick Coe of Histon's father. It struck me how, not only did Frederick witness this incident, but how we had begun our discovery of him with a near fatal incident of his own, which must have reminded him of his fathers fate.
If you'd like to support the work that I do, why not buy me a coffee, I'd be really grateful and it will help keep me going :)
©Michelle Bullivant, May 2020
A little exploration into one of the old farms of Cherry Hinton. Ventress Farm was one of the old farms that stood in Cherry Hinton village, positioned just off of, what is now, Cherry Hinton Road. There would appear to be nothing remaining of it to see today...or is there?...
So as you can see from the two little video clips above, it may be that there is something of the old farm buildings remaining, that we can see today, hidden away from sight and only there if you go exploring and have a look. The question is, is that older looking house, within the more modern Ventress Farm Court Flats, actually the old Ventress farm house? or even on the site of the Ventress Farm. Given the name of the site today as Ventress Farm Court, it seems a fairly obvious clue that this was at the least the site of the old farm. So let's take a look at the things I can tell you about Ventress Farm, that I know of already and then see if we can decide if that house is, in fact the old farm house. Firstly lets get our position clearer in the landscape.
This is the southern end of Cherry Hinton. You can see the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall top left and the blue pool is Giant's Grave, which is at the crossroads at the start of Cherry Hinton High Street, with the Robin Hood pub opposite bottom right corner. The yellow X marks the entrance to Ventress Farm Court and the start of video clip 1, the yellow circle marks the potential old Ventress Farm building in video clip 2.
A good place to start is the old Enclosure map of Cherry Hinton, which is from 1806, when Enclosure took place in Cherry Hinton (more on that in another blog coming soon). This is one of the earliest maps that we have for the village in any detail and we can get to see what buildings were there at that time.
The Enclosure Map, 1806, of Cherry Hinton, showing the portion that we are examining. I have coloured in the Giant's Grave and the brook and marked two of the roads so that you might get your bearings. I have also put a red dot on the spot where Cherry Hinton Hall was to be built later, and a red X to mark where the Robin Hood pub now stands. I have circled in yellow the two sets of buildings on the road, around the area that Ventress Farm once stood.
Here's the map unmarked for you. (Cambridgeshire Archives, Cherry Hinton Enclosure Map. Photograph M. Bullivant)
So in 1806, we can see that there are two sets of buildings around the site. The ones, in the larger yellow circle, look more like a set of related buildings which make them a more likely candidate for a farm and then the second singular building in the smaller yellow circle further to the left. Let's have a go at overlaying the modern map with the Enclosure map to see if we can sort the position out better.
The modern map laid over the Enclosure map of 1806, to give you an approximation of the buildings that may be the building that we can still see today.
Hopefully you'll be able to make out a little of what is showing through the overlaid maps above. We can now rule out the building shown previously, in the smaller yellow circle, and turn our attention to the collection of buildings, within the plot of the larger yellow circle. As you can more or less make out in the overlaid maps above, the left hand L shaped building seems to lay beneath what is now a road way - (the second part of Ventress Farm Court roadway, which comes off of Greystoke Road). The building that is shown on the picture above, in the yellow circle above is the one to focus on. If it is not the building that remains today, it would have stood upon the same spot and may relate to those bricks that were reused to make the back wall, shown in video clip 2.
Close up of the buildings in our plot on the 1806 Enclosure map
As you can see there are two L shaped buildings within this one plot, numbered 113, and marked as owned by Caius College. In fact look a little closer within the plot and you'll see another small, square building, by the roadside. The dark line going across the picture is where Cherry Hinton Road now lays (this used to be called Long Drove). It does not name the site as Ventress Farm on this map. I need to do several things to make this information clearer at this stage but given the lockdown that we are in, some things will just have to wait until another day - one of which is a trip to Caius College to have a look in their archives, as it will be good to see what they have on Cherry Hinton in general but also to see what this site was called in previous years to the Enclosure. I also need to pop back up to Cambridge Archives, which is now in Ely, in its new building there, and go over both the Enclosure and accompanying pre-Enclosure maps of Cherry Hinton, getting some new and clearer pictures of them to share with you. I will then also be able to look through the Enclosure award book to see what and who else may be listed, for the plot that we are looking at. I do have all these records here but hidden in piles of archives, in boxes, so it's just as well to go and get some newer pictures with better camera. As I get more data I will keep adding to this post.
In the old medieval open field system within the parish of Cherry Hinton, the site lay in a large parcel of land called Fendon Field. The written survey, of parts of the village in 1592, by Christopher Saxton, describes many of the smaller parcels of land within Fendon Field, most of which are owned by Gilbert Wise and his family but it doesn’t mention any buildings, only the size of the land parcels. The same can be said for the survey of the land carried out in 1733 by John Tracey, some of the land within Fendon Field still being owned by the Wise family, descendants of Gilbert Wise.As we've just seen, on the Enclosure map of 1806 we can see that Gonville and Caius (Cambridge College) are marked as owning the site. Here's a little more information relating to that for now.
“In 1503 Thomas Willows granted c.45 acres to Gonville Hall (Cambridge), to which in 1708 W. Peters left 66 acres copyhold of Netherhall manor. After inclosure [1806] Caius College's main Hinton holdings were in Fendon field… Between 1830 and 1857 its land was leased out to William Ventris. Its lands were sold off piecemeal in the 20th century, and in 1998 it retained 20 acres....In account of Caius' building expenses between 1564 and 1573, amounting to £1,837, includes purchase of timber-trees from Warboys and Ramsey woods, freestone and rubble from Ramsey [Abbey] and Barnwell [Priory], freestone from King's Cliffe and Weldon, clunch from Haslingfield and Barrington and lime from Reach and Cherry Hinton.” “From the 16th century Caius College owned other lands in Teversham, called WILLOWES. In 1502 Thomas Willows, a Cambridge glover, had devised his purchased lands, c. 79 a., in Teversham, Fen Ditton, Fulbourn, and Cherry Hinton, to Gonville Hall, for 99 years, to help maintain a fellow and bible clerk. The Teversham portion, which, with other land in Fulbourn and Fen Ditton, became Willowes farm.” [in Teversham] (A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 10, Victoria County History, London, 2002.)
The next thing we can do is to take a quick look at the site from the air.
Can you see our current building?
Zoomed in. Can you see it now? The older looking roof top in the middle of the modern roof tops of the flats in Ventress Farm Court.
Last zoom in and now hopefully you can make out how old this building looks when seen from above - just look at that sitting there, right in the middle of the modern flats! Cool isn't it :)
So one last little thing to try before I start telling you about the tragic and interesting history from what I already know about Ventress Farm... let's overlay the Enclosure map with the aerial view to see just where that building lands, more or less ;)
Here is the modern aerial overlaid onto the Enclosure map - not to clear to see really, is it? - here watch this next little video clip and then you'll be able to get your eye in better :)
Mr & Mrs Ventris lived and ran the farm on our site in the early 19th century, and it was called Ventris Farm - later, by the end of the 19th century the spelling had changed to Ventress. You can read more about the tragic incident that occurred, in 1813, to Mrs Ventris and her young child below:
The following is gleaned from old newspaper records about the Ventress (Ventris) family in Cherry Hinton and Ventress Farm:
Mrs Ventris, Relief of poor, May 1801 (Cherry Hinton Chronicle, E.Filby)
Relief of the poor in Cambridge and the neighbouring villages. Second subscription. Mrs Ventris, Cherry Hinton paid 10s 6d
Melancholy Event, September 24th 1813 (Cherry Hinton Chronicle, E.Filby)
We are much concerned in stating, that on Monday morning last, Mrs. Ventris, wife of Mr. Ventris of this place was found drowned in a ditch in the Parish of Cherry Hinton. She had left Cambridge on the preceding day, and took one of her children with her, a girl about 16 months old, who we regret to say, was also drowned, being found within a few feet of her mother. The Coroner's jury returned a verdict "found drowned".
This terrible thing happened and the verdict just seems so plain... 'Found drowned'. Perhaps it was as simple and as tragic as that. I presume that the ditch in question was most likely a point somewhere along the Hinton Brook, only across the road from Ventris Farm, which flows from Giant's Grave at the High Street crossroads, through the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall and on towards Coldham's Common, before joining the River Cam at Stourbridge Common. You have to bear in mind that the Hinton Brook had far more depth and the area was covered in marshy boggy places, with natural springs and their little ditches cropping out in various places. This was before the drainage of the parish took place and before the water reservoirs were built on top of Lime Kiln Hill in the late 19th century, which in turn lessened the flow of water in the Hinton Brook. So perhaps it was just that, a tragic accident. It is natural to wonder if there was more to it such as foul play or even suicide, perhaps due to something like postnatal illness or such like but we can not presume or surmise anything like that because we do not have the full facts and can only give our respectful thoughts and prayers to the memory of Mrs Ventris, her young child and her family, acknowledging the sad incident, now part of our Cherry Hinton history.
I have started a family tree for the Ventris family, on Ancestry, so that I can get further records and information about them, which I'll add here as I discover facts.
Mrs Ventris was called Mary and she was buried, at Cherry Hinton, 23rd September 1813 (FHL Film No. 2149251)
The child, who died with her, was called Elizabeth Ventris, as she is shown as also being buried in Cherry Hinton on 23rd September 1813. (FHL Film no. 214251).
The gravestone of Thomas Ventris (possibly William's father) and the only Ventris gravestone I could find on my social distancing walk this afternoon, in St Andrew's Churchyard, Cherry Hinton. This little patch would have been the Ventris family grave area though. Back in around 2005, I, along with Graeme Clarke, surveyed the entire graveyard here and reproduced the grave plan and written grave records for the vicar at the time. I will dig that file out and check for more info on the Ventris family and put here later.
The main and only village burial site from the medieval period onwards was St Andrew's Church at the top end of the village in Church End - There was a large Saxon burial site further down Church End, pre-dating the main church today, which was discovered and excavated about 2009. Before that we've got isolated burials all over the place, from the skeletons of those massacred in long gone battles, found up on top of Lime Kiln Hill, at the War Ditches - to the boundary marker, bronze age burials around the parish and more besides. I'm not sure if the Baptist Chapel on Fisher Lane ever allowed any burials there but on the whole everyone was buried in St Andrew's Church yard - before the creation of the Cambridge Cemetery on Newmarket Road. I have long thought that there may have been some earlier, collective burial site, down the south end of the village (Mill End) somewhere, because Church End (in the north) and Mill End (south) were quite separate from one another before drainage took place in the late 1800's. Perhaps there is still a Saxon burial site to be discovered in Mill End somewhere - the only indication of something religious down that end at the moment, is an odd reference to "God's House" which keeps cropping up on old surveys and documents - it seems to lay somewhere off of the High Street, opposite the Post Office, in that area. So much to explore and discover still...:)
You can visit the tree that I have now started on Ancestry, to learn more about the Ventris family by clicking this link: www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/pt/RSVP.aspx?dat=MTY5MDQ0MzkwOzswMWU5NDJkNS0wMDA2LTAwMDAtMDAwMC0wMDAwMDAwMDAwMDA7MjAyMDA1MTIwNzE3MDI7MQ==&mac=KJIo8AoL8hQtxxf6g8vMBA==
The basics are: Mr Ventris was William Richmond Ventris and he married Mrs Ventris - Mary Lawrence in Cambridge on 28th December 1796 at Saint Andrew the Great Church. Mr Ventris was born around 1765 and his parents were from Teversham. He was married first to Martha Plume (born 1764 - died 1788) and they had 2 or 3 children together. He then married Mary and they had 4 or 5 children together. William and Mary had a baby called Sarah in June 1812 and who was then buried in Cherry Hinton in June 1812. Mary and her daughter Elizabeth died the in September 1813 - the newspaper article saying that Elizabeth was about 16 months old - I wonder if Sarah and Elizabeth had been twins? - a quick check of the records confirms this to be the case, as both Elizabeth and Sarah are baptised together in Cherry Hinton on 6th June 1812. William and Mary's son, Edward Ventris (b.1802 -d.1886) went on to live in Cambridge (3, Bateman Street, Cambridge) and was the Vicar of the parish church in Stow-Cum-Quy. William Ventris died in 1827.
More newspaper clips and information regarding Ventris Farm:
27th September and 4th October 1816 (Cherry Hinton Chronicle, E.Filby)
Parish of Cherry Hinton in the County of Cambridge Whereas the GAME within this Parish has been much destroyed by poachers and unqualified persons, and considerable damage done by persons sporting amongst standing crops and other acts of unsportsmanlike conduct, obliges us to adopt this mode of proceeding. We the undersigned being owners and occupiers of Lands within the said parish, do hereby give notice, that such persons found trespassing will be prosecuted, and qualified persons are requested not to sport. T.S. Headly, R. Johnson, R.Rickard, R.Emson, W.Capp, J.Barrance, R.Granger sen., R. Granger jun., J.Truslove, John Headly, John Green, W.R. Ventris, William Tagg, Thomas Hart, J.Clements, William Coe.
October 15th 1819 (Cherry Hinton Chronicle, E.Filby)
Furniture - Cherry Hinton To be sold by auction by Elliot Smith on the premises of Mrs Ventris, deceased, on Tuesday next the 19th October at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Consisting of bedsteads and furnishings, beds and bedding, 8 day clock, a bureau, corner cupboard, kitchen utensils, hooks and various other articles. May be viewed morning of sale. Catelogues to be had at the Coach and Horses, Fulbourn, Red Lion, Cherry Hinton, and Elliot Smith.
January 1st 1822 (Cherry Hinton Chronicle, E.Filby)
Inquest On Friday last, an inquest was held before John Ingle Esq., one of the coroners for this County, on view of the body of Thomas Lane, servant at Mr. Ventris's farm, at Cherry Hinton. It appeared that the deceased, who had been unwell for some time, but not so much so as to prevent his going about his usual avocations, retired to bed after eating a hearty supper. In the night a person in the adjoining room was awoke by the cries of a lad, who slept with the deceased. He immediately got up and only arrived in time to see the poor fellow expire. Verdict, died by the visitation of God.
September 14th 1832 (Cherry Hinton Chronicle, E.Filby)
Theft On Sunday night last or early on the following morning, a post chaise was stolen from the premises of Mrs. Ventris of Cherry Hinton.
October 21st 1882 (Cherry Hinton Chronicle, E.Filby)
MILK! MILK! J.Barton will supply Daily pure MILK from the cow 8 pints for 1 shilling. Deliveries to all part of the Town. All orders received at Ventris Farm, Cherry Hinton.
Owners and occupiers of Ventris (Ventress) farm over the years:
The 1888 Os Map (https://cherry-hinton.ccan.co.uk/content/catalogue_item/map-of-1888) showing Ventress Farm, as a collection of buildings in a square layout. P. indicates a pump and our building that stands today is upon the spot along the southside of this complex. Notice how the little building on the far left, which was shown on the 1806 Enclosure map, still stands.
Both the 1851 and 1861 Census do not record Ventris Farm by name but records a John Spencer as a farmer in the vicinity of where Ventris Farm would have been, on Cambridge Road (called Fulbourn Road 1861) - but we can not say for certainty that this is the same site, so for now we'll just note that, rather that say for definite.
In the news, which may relate to Ventris Farm, if Mr Spencer did indeed farm and live there, the following entry in the Cambridge Chronicle appears:
November 17th 1849 FIRE! On the night of Tuesday last, about 12 o'clock, a fire broke out in a wheat stack situate in a field on the farm of Mr. Spencer, of this parish. The flames speedily communicated to a contiguous wheat stack and a barley cob, and the three were reduced to ashes. The stacks were at some distance from the Homestead and there is no doubt that they were maliciously fired. The conflagration, from the solidity of the Stacks, lasted for a considerable period, and created a great deal of alarm in Cambridge. Mr Spencer is insured, but we have not heard an estimate of the loss, which must be considerable. (Cherry Hinton Chronicle, E.Filby)
Both the 1871 and 1881 Census do not record Ventris Farm by name but records a Remmington Pratt as a farmer in the vicinity of where Ventris Farm would have been, on Cambridge Road - but we can not say for certainty that this is the same site, so as with 1851 and 1861 previously, for now we'll just note that, rather that say for definite.
OS Map, 1950 (https://cherry-hinton.ccan.co.uk/content/catalogue_item/map-of-cherry-hinton-1950) - showing Ventress Farm buildings and still the other small building to the left, remains standing.
OS map 1885 shows the name spelt Ventress rather than Ventris.
On the 1891 Census, Ventris Farm isn't named but approximately where it would be expected a farm is listed but called Barton's Farm - perhaps a temporary change? this needs more investigation. As it corresponds to the site, it is worth mentioning the details here:
Barton's Farm - James Bass, Head, married, aged 60, Farm Bailiff, employed, born in Oxford Emma Bass, wife, aged 61, born Bucks William Bass, son, single, aged 37, Book Cavasser, born Bucks Louisa Bass, daughter, single, aged 23, born Trumpington Walter Bass, son, single, aged 19, Stationary Engine Driver, employed, born Trumpington *note how the son, Walter is a stationary engine driver - this suggests that he was working for the Pamplin family of Cherry Hinton who ran the steam plough works (where there were stationary engines working the plough) in the village and are recorded as owning the Ventris Farm site in 1913 - perhaps they owned it from this date, 1891
The 1901 Census doesn't name Ventris Farm, just the road, but we can presume with some degree of certainty that Daniel Coe who is shown as Farm Baliff and is on the 1911 Census (see below) as a Farm Steward, living at Ventris Farm, is at the same place in 1901.
So for 1901 it is likely that the following applies: Cambridge Road, Cherry Hinton - Daniel Coe, Head, married, aged 48, Farm Baliff, worker, born in Cherry Hinton Emma Coe (Emily on 1911 Census), wife, aged 47 years, born Cherry Hinton and Lizzie Coe (Lucy on 1911 Census), daughter, aged 20, Dressmaker, born in Cherry Hinton Ada F Coe, daughter, aged 16, born Cherry Hinton Any other the families shown either side of the Coe's on this Census could also be living on the site but without a link we can not presume to add them at this point.
In 1909 a sad incident took place at the farm:
Cambridge Independent Press, May 14, 1909 (British Newspaper Archive)
On the 1911 Census for Cherry Hinton, there are three people listed as living at Ventris (spelt the original way) Farm, as follows:
Obdiah John Malting, head of the household, aged 52, married for 30 years, 3 children born alive, 2 living, one died. Horse keeper, worker. born in Suffolk. Caroline Malting, wife, aged 51, born in Suffolk and Harry Joseph Malting, son, aged 20, single. Born in Suffolk. The house is listed as having 4 rooms (not inc. any scullery, landing, lobby, closet, bathroom nor warehouse, office or shop)
Also on the 1911 Census, shown living as separate family (and most likely building with in complex) at Ventris Farm were:
Daniel Coe, Head, aged 59, married for 40 years, Farm Steward, Farmer, Worker, born in Cherry Hinton. Emily Coe, wife, aged 59, 5 children born alive and 5 children living, born in Cherry Hinton. and Lucy Coe, daughter, aged 30, single, dressmaker, born in Cherry Hinton
c. 1913 - The two farms at Cherry Hinton owned by Pamplins were Ventris Farm and Sidney Farm. Ventris Farm stood on the left of Cherry Hinton Road as you left the Robin Hood public house and made your way towards Cambridge, the farmhouse stood on the site that is now a brand new housing complex of flats called Ventress Farm Court. (M. Bullivant, Cherry Hinton Community Archives (CCAN). You can read more about the Pamplin Bros. here - https://cherry-hinton.ccan.co.uk/wp-search/ventris)
Harold Ridgeon and his family are living at Ventress Farm in the 1960's - a well known Cambridge family, involved with the Sindalls Company, which had a site further down Cherry Hinton Road, opposite Wulfstan Way.
City of Cambridge Poll Book, 1960, (Cambridge Libraries and Archives)
The record on the Cambridgeshire Historic Environment Record database is as follows:
Which we now know isn't quite correct, the farm isn't completely demolished. So I have written to them to request the record now be updated with the new information provided by this post. You'd never know it was there, unless you live in Ventris Farm Court and saw that odd building in the middle as different, or if you didn't just come off road and explore because it can not been seen from the road side at all.
Addendum.
This welcome comment was posted to this article by Ivan who said the following: "Not sure if you found it already but if you search for planning reference C/75/0116 on the greater Cambridge planning portal, you find : "Address: Ventress Farm House Cherry Hinton Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire. Proposal: Erection of two-storey extention to existing dwelling to from flats.Change of use of existing dwelling to flats". Dated 02 Apr 1975. The application was granted - maybe this is as straightforward as it sounds - the house was there at that time and was converted to flats then?" If you go onto the planning portal yourself, you will find the information he is referring to and you'll see that it does indeed give the date for which the flats we see today at Ventress Farm were approved for construction in 1975 and that it also says they are to be extended from the farmhouse that stood on the site. It also suggests that the house itself is converted to flats. Here's a screen shot of part of the original application: 
Many thanks to Ivan for this information - and remember, if you have any information you'd like to add or ideas you want to suggest please do get in touch. In addition, you are more than welcome to share you memories of Ventress Farm and the site, living in the flats and so on, to this site - just drop me a line :)
If you'd like to support the work that I do, why not buy me a coffee, I'd be really grateful and it will help keep me going :)
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