Spotlight on Radmoor House

Spotlight on Radmoor House

Radmoor House from Radmoor Road, 2014

Here I am again, being influenced by chance comments on facebook, where someone was asking about Radmoor House, a question right up my street, so I decided to look into the history of the house. In truth, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually walked past that particular house, but I have done many times in the past, so it was great to get re-acquainted!

From Radmoor Road

I cannot say for sure, but my research suggests that Radmoor House was built sometime between 1876 and 1881. I’ve come to this conclusion because I cannot find it on the 1871 census, and the person who is living there in 1881 was living in “Victoria Villas” on Victoria Street in 1876. I would guess that it was he who actually had Radmoor House built, as he was rather an influential man.

On 15 October 1832, Arthur Paget was born in Leicester, to parents Thomas (a surgeon) and Ann, and in 1841 they were living on the High Street in Leicester, and Arthur had at least four siblings. In 1848 Arthur moved to London to study at king’s College, and in 1951 was lodging at 101 Great Russell Street. Having completed his studies, Arthur moved back to Leicestershire, and in 1854 he was working for Paget and Wright, and in 1861 he was lodging in Church Gate, Loughborough.

In 1864, Arthur married Rose Ellen Lakin from Powick in Worcestershire, and by 1866 Arthur was running his own company. In 1871 Arthur and Rose were living in Victoria Villa on Victoria Street, with their five children and five servants. I don’t know exactly where Victoria Villa was, but there were actually four of them: Possibly where the flats are now? Arthur, aged about 38, was listed as a mechanical engineer who employed 30 men.

From Radmoor Road

Anyway, in 1876 the Pagets are still living in Victoria Villa, but in 1881 they have moved to Radmoor House, a house which isn’t listed on the 1871 census, but in 1881 was listed next to Burleigh Fields House, the home of Dr John Henry Eddowes. Radmoor House had at least five rooms, and Arthur and Rose were living there with their eight children and seven servants! Arthur was listed as a civil engineer.

Back of Radmoor House showing extensions, from true Lovers Walk

Obviously, Radmoor House was built as a house for life as in 1891 the Paget family, Arthur, Rose and eight children are still living there, but only employed two servants now. Arthur’s occupation is engineer and hosiery machine maker. On 25 March 1895, Arthur died, but I’m not sure what happened to their lovely house, as in 1901 Rose and her daughter, also named Rose, are lodging at number 53 Beaumont Street, Marylebone, London, a boarding house, and Radmoor House is listed as uninhabited. Whether or not the house was unoccupied only on the night of the 1901 census is not clear to me.

The outbuildings to the side, from Radmoor Road

In 1911, Rose and two of her sons are living at The Ridgway, Rothley, and it’s good news for Radmoor House, which is now occupied by Ernest Edwin Coltman, another prominent inhabitant of Loughborough.

A view from the Recreation Ground

Arthur Paget was a manufacturer of knitting, weaving, and other textile machinery: He was also an inventor, and exhibited his steam-powered hosiery knitting machines at the Paris Exhibition in 1889. He built a hosiery factory on Mill Street (which we know as Market street) There were a number of Paget families in Loughborough around the same time, although there is little evidence to suggest they were related. Ernest Edwin Coltman was the son of Huram Coltman, Mayor of Loughborough in 1896-7, and founder of H.Coltman & Sons, who built boilers, and steam engines. In 1911, Ernest was listed on the census as a boiler and steam engine maker (employer). In 1920 the firm of Coltman was taken over by Herbert Morris, although Ernest was employed as a manager.

From True Lovers Walk

Trade directories of 1925 and 1928 show that the Coltman’s are still living in Radmoor House. Ernest died on 27 January 1934: He left a grand sum of £30,422 8s 3d, and the house passed to his wife, where she continued to live until her own death on 28 March 1936.

In The Times of Thursday January 22, 1885, the following advert appeared:

"Governess Wanted, at once, to teach, with competent assistance, six children (ages five to 14), English, French, Music and Latin. Write, stating age, full particulars of education, previous experience, and salary required, to Mrs Arthur Paget, Radmoor Loughborough."

In the July 2nd 1913, issue of the Times, the following notice of marriage appeared:

"Mr. Gerald Paget, youngest son of the late Mr. Arthur Paget Of Radmoor, Loughborough, and Mrs Arthur Paget, of Rothely, Leicestershire, married Winifred Emily Gale." 

I have also managed to find some adverts for January 1937 in which there are adverts for a new nursing home in Loughborough, and for maids, and I think this would be for Radmoor House. There is an advert in 1942 for a professional nurse for Radmoor House, and another mention in 1944. At the end of this article you will find a list of people (some interesting Loughborough names included) living on Radmoor Road, which includes Radmoor House, for various years from 1932 until 1969, from which it can be seen that Radmoor House became Loughborough Nursing Home from 1938: I’d rather assumed this was a place for giving birth, but, going by the information that appeared in the newspapers (see directly below) it appears that people were also nursed here in their final days. The latest record I’ve found for a birth is 1963.

In the table of inhabitants of Radmoor Road, in 1969 Isabela Johnson was listed as the occupier of Radmoor House. I wasn’t too sure about whether David George Woodfield (listed as living in the Bottom Flat 2) and Forseth and Vivan Carroll (listed as living in the Top Flat 2) were living at house number 2 in 1969, or whether Radmoor House was divided into flats and they were living there.

I haven’t had time to do much research on the years following 1969, but I did find an advert from 1971, for the College of Art and Design, advertising sandwich courses for would-be teachers of adults, in embroidery etc.. The reply address is simply listed as Radmoor. Another advert, from 1978, for the Technical College was advertising a bilingual private secretary’s diploma: Again, the address is simply Radmoor. I’m not sure if this indicates that Radmoor House was being used by the College of Art and the Technical College.

Then there’s a bit of a gap until I found a report from 2005 on the Asbhy Road conservation area by Charnwood Borough Council, in which it is commented on that the house is a prominent local building.

In 2009 Radmoor House is subject to a building appraisal by prior to proposed alteration and redevelopment.  And in 2012 it is put up for sale again.     

2014 has seen much discussion about the proposals to turn Radmoor House into student accommodation. The first article in the local paper is about residents’ anger, the second about the extension plans. 

  

Here’s a link to the current planning application.

And here’s a map showing where the house is.

Notes from the meeting of the planning committee in July 2014.

And finally, here is a video advertisement for the new student accommodation.

Births noted at Radmoor House, 1942-1963 

1942

• Van Nievelt (nee Tucker)

1944

• Barrington (nee Foster)
• Fisher (nee Hawkshaw)
• Thompson (nee Kershaw)

1946

• Hays (nee Richardson)

1947

• Boon (nee Godkin)
• Hartley (nee Bell)
• Odho (nee Parker-Churchley)
• Pierce-Hughes (nee Banner)
• Wilkinson (nee Barthel)
• Wright (nee Toone)

1948

• Boon (nee Godkin)
• Doble (nee Nicholls)
• Latimer (nee Ward)
• Munsey (nee Sawyer)

1949

• Onions (nee Kennard)

1951

• Hamilton-Martin (nee Whitaker)

1953

• Gillespie

1956

• Hooker

1957

• Astbury (nee Horne)

1959

• Walker (nee Newall)

1963

• Shields (nee Ashton)

Deaths reported from Radmoor House

1942

• Bell

1948

• Boon

1952

• Young

1960

• Stenson

Tables

This is a list of who was living on Radmoor Road, 1932-1935

House no.	1932	1933	1934	1935
1	Dr  NB McLeod	Dr  NB McLeod	Empty	Empty
2	Rev R Trotter	Rev R Trotter	Rev R Trotter	Rev TJ Chapman
3	Sharpe, WH	Sharpe, WH	Sharpe, WH	Sharpe, WH
4	Gray, FH	Gray, FH	Gray, FH	Gary, FH
5	West, C	Antill, A	Guy, H	Guy, H
6	Hudson, Mrs	Hudson, Mrs	Hudson, Mrs	Hudson, Mrs
7	Billingham, HP	Billingham, HP	Billingham, HP	Harris, CH
8	Cross, AH	Cross, AH	Cross, AH	Cross, AH
9	Roper, Miss EF	Roper, Miss EF	Roper, Miss EF	Roper, Miss EF
10	Simpkin, Mrs	Simpkin, Mrs	Stevens, H	Stevens, H
11	Hardy, E	Hardy, E	Hardy, E	Hardy, E
12	Mawby, J	Mawby, J	Mawby, J	Mawby, J
13	Morley, L	Morley, L	Kirk, H	Kirk, H
14	Boyce, A	Boyce, A	Boyce, A	Adkins, HJ
16	Webster, Mrs	Webster, Mrs	Webster, Mrs	Webster, Mrs
18	Hickman, N	Empty	Empty	Empty
20	Cook, N	Cook, N	Cook, N	Empty
22	Smith, EA	Smith, EN	Smith, EN	Keeping, H
24	Cowling, Mrs	Cowling, Mrs	Cowling, Mrs	Cowling, Mrs
26	Chamberlain, E	Chamberlain, E	Chamberlain, E	Chamberlain, E
28	Hall, H	Hall, H	Hall, H	Hall, H
	Robinson, WSA (Town Clerk)	Robinson, WSA (Town Clerk)	Robinson, WSA (Town Clerk)	Robinson, WSA (Town Clerk)
Louvaine
[Radmoor House]	Coltman, EE	Coltman, EE	Coltman, EE	Coltman, Mrs
	Recreation Ground			Recreation Ground
	Bostock, AH	Bostock, AH	Harris, CH	?
	Walker, AE	Walker, AE	Walker, Mrs W	Walker, Mrs W
	Hadley, T	Hadley, T	Hadley, T	Hadley, T
	Burrell, W	Burrell, W	Burrell, W	Burrell, W
	Long, FL	Long, FL	Long, FL	Long, FL
				Hoddard, LT
				Reiss, T

            

This list is of who was living on Radmoor Road 1937-1940

House no.	1937	1938	1939	1940
1
2	Rev TJ Chapman	Rev FH Mills	Rev FH Mills	Rev FH Mills
3	Sharpe, WH	Sharpe, WH	Sharpe, WH	Sharpe, WH
4	Gray, FH	Gray, FH	Gray, FH	Gray, FH
5	Guy, H	Guy, H	Thomas, Mrs	Thomas, Mrs
6	Hudson, Mrs	Hudson, Mrs	Hudson, Mrs	Hudson, Mrs
7	Harris, CH	Harris, CH	Harris, CH	Harris, CH
8	Cross, AH	Empty	Empty	Wollison, L
9	Roper, Miss EF	Roper, Miss EF	Roper, Miss EF	Roper, Miss EF
10	Stevens, H	Stevens, H	Stevens, H	Stevens, H
11	Hardy, E	Hardy, E	Hardy, E	Hardy, E
12	Mawby, J	Mawby, J	Mawby, J	Mawby, J
13	Kirk, H	Kirk, H	Kirk, H	Kirk, H
14	Adkins, HJ	Empty	Gregory, AE	Gregory, AE
16	Antill, Mrs	Antill, Mrs	Antill, Mrs	Antill, Miss
18	Burrell, W	Mumford, Mrs	Mumford, Mrs	Mumford, Mrs
20	Raper, WH	Raper, WH	Raper, WH	Raper, HA
21		Redmayne, AE	Redmayne, AE	Redmayne, AE
22	Johnson, Mrs	Johnson, Mrs	Bentley, E	Smith, EN
23			Rorke, Mrs	Rorke, Miss
24	Cowling, Mrs	Cowling, Mrs	Cowling, Mrs	Cowling, Mrs
25			Brown, JC	Brown, JC
26	Chamberlain, E	Chamberlain, E	Chamberlain, E	Chamberlain, E
27			Newton, W	Newton, W
28	Hall, H	Hall, H	Hall, H	Hall, H
31			Poole, GF	Sharpe, PC
37 [Claremont]		Herbert, J	Herbert, J	Herbert, J
	Timperley, T
Louvaine
[Radmoor House]	Coltman, Mrs HE	Loughborough Nursing Home	Loughborough Nursing Home	Loughborough Nursing Home
Recreation Ground
	Walker, Mrs	Walker, Mrs	Walker, Mrs	Walker, Mrs
	Hadley, T
	Birrell, W
	Long, FL	Long, FL	Long, FL	Long, FL
	Reiss, T	Ross, T

List of who was living on Radmoor Road, variety of years from 1941-1969

House number	1941	1951-2	1958-9	1962	1969
1				Marshall, Douglas W	O’Loughlin, Niall and Jocelyn
1a			Tait, Benjamin	Brown, JP	Scott, Keith William Dobbie (Front Flat) Clarke, John (Top Flat) Henson, Richard James (Middle Flat)
2	Rev GH Elliott	Miller, AR	Beard, George M	Jowett, Raymond B	Woodfield, David George (Bott Flat) Carroll, Forseth & Vivian (Top Flat)
3	Sharpe, W	Payne, HI	Payne, Howard J	McNichol, Miss E	Payne, Howard James & Patricia
4	Gray, FH	Gray, FH	Gray, Ida I	Gray, Ida I	Gray, Ida, I
5	Thomas, Mrs	Foxley, EM	Foxley, Evelyn M	Foxley, Evelyn M	Foxley, Evelyn M
6	Hudson, Mrs	Hudson, DM	Hudson, Dorothy M	Hudson, Dorothy M	Hudson, Dorothy T
7	Harris, CH	Kelham, C	Kelham, Ethel
8	Empty	Start, JL	Start, Joseph L	Start, Joseph L	Start, Joseph L & Charles L
9	Roper, Miss EF	Roper, EF	Isley, Isabel J	Isley, Isabel J	Watkins, Theodore John & Barbara Ethel
10	Empty	Young, CJ		Cave, Ronald	Dodds, John Allen & Kathleen Valerie (Bott Flat) Bruce, Michael & Beryl (10a)
11	Hardy, E	Hardy, E	Danvers, Abraham	Danvers, E	Piekarska, Edith
12	Mawby, J	Mawby, J	Reeves, Baryy V (Top Flat)	Arme, Percy G
13	Kirk, H	Kirk, H	Kirk, Christine M
14	Gregory, AE	Gregory, AE	Gregory, Ellaline J	Gregory, Ellaline J	Ellaby, Jennifer Lesely & Jones, Suzanna Christine
14 a					Ashmore, Dorothy
16	Antill, Miss	Antill, L	Antill, Leonard	Antill, Leonard	Antill, Elizabeth & Florence
18	Mumford, Mrs	Turner, JW	Ferguson, Robert H	Parry, John	Parry, John Hubert & Jessie and Acons, Edward George Nicholas
19			Hatton, Elizabeth M	Hatton, Elizabeth M	Hatton, Elizabeth M & Perry, Annie
20	Raper, HA	Raper, HA			Hartnett, Oonagh (First Floor) Statham, Barry & Amy Leonie (Grd Floor)
21	Empty	Murcott, EE	Johnson, Edna M	Johnson, Edna M
22	Smith, EN	Elliott, JR	Hall, Kenneth	Hall, RL	Hall, Reginald Lionel & Lillian Mary
23	Rorke, Miss	Rorke, R	Rorke, Ruth	Tombs, Charles A	Tombs, Charles Arthur Frederick & Eleanor Millicent
24	Cowling, Mrs	Cowling, B	Cowling, Bertha	Cowling, Bertha	Taylor, Kenneth George & Patricia Mary AND ? Elaine
25	Brown, JC	Brown, JCF	Wain, Eric	Wain, Eric	Adcock, Mary
26	Chamberlain, E	Chamberlain, E	Webb, Ronald G	Partridge, Sidney G	Hartshorn, Charles & Bertha Smith, Arthur & Joan & Patricia Ann
27	Newton, W	Phillips, RF	Phillips, Reginald F	Brewin, James E	Brewin, James Edwin & Alison Elizabeth
28	Hall, H	Hall, H	Hall, Harry	Hall, Harry	Hall, Harry & Hilda
29		Walker, AE	Peckover Norman C	Peckover Norman C	Peckover, Norman Charles & Alfreda Evelyn
31	Sharpe, PC	Morrison, GE	Morrison, GE	Lockhart, Robert D	Richards, John Morgan & Rosemary Bridget
35	Guy, H	Guy, H	Guy, Marie L	Hawley, Jack	Hawley, Jack & Evelyn and Malcolm, John
37	Herbert, J	Harris, CH	Harris, Charles H	Harris, Charles H	Harris, Charles H & Hedley, Richard
Iveshead?			Haw, Herbert	Haw, Herbert
(30) Radmoor House Loughborough Nursing Home		Caldwell, EA			Johnson, Isabela
Recreation Ground
	Walker, Mrs	Walker, Mrs
Rosina?	Long, FL	Long, FL	Long, Frank L	Long, Frank L	Humphries, David & Marilyn
Radmoor Kennels			Long, Lottie	Long, Lottie
Burleigh Fields (Hostel?)
BF 2			Lawler, Raymond	Bryers, DG
BF 3			Raven, John M	Benstead, GJ
BF 4			Gough, John M
BF 5			Sockett, June
BF 6			Symonds, Kenneth H	Gray, George T
BF 7			Bradley, Jean	Maheson, A
BF 7a				McFadden, C
BF 8			Bhavani, Ranjit	Shackelton, H
BF 10			Pepper, Margaret A Foreman Alfred C The Loft	Denham, O
BF 11				Mitchell, AC
45					Howe, Cyril Walpole & Cecilia Mary
The Poplars					Blackwell, Dorothy and Charles

Radmoor House is on the right of this wall

The crumbling property wall on True Lovers Walk

Radmoor Jitty runs along the end of the garden and into the Recreation Ground

Radmoor Jitty looking towards the Recreation Ground

No. 2 Radmoor Road, the vicarage, at the opposite end of the street from Radmoor House (no. 30)

Looking at Radmoor Road today, it is easy to see which houses were there at the time Radmoor House was first built, and the 1930s houses are also easy to spot. However, none of the Victorian houses appear to have names (unlike some other areas of Victorian houses in Loughborough) and I can find no evidence of houses called: Rosina, Claremont, Louvaine, Poplars or Iveshead. Also, Burleigh Fields House (the former home of Dr Eddowes, and situated next to the recreation ground) is no longer there, having been replaced by college buildings.

Anyway, hope you’ve found something to interest you here!!

See you next time!