Field House, Ashby Road
When I was writing ‘Loughborough in 50 Buildings’ I investigated many more than the 50 buildings that eventually appeared in the book, and one of those was Field House, on Ashby Road. I wasn’t happy about the information I found about the property, so I decided it wasn’t one of the buildings that would make it to the book. Besides, I had many more buildings for which I had found plenty of information and which were also just as interesting.
 |
| Field House in 2013 |
I have recently
been asked about the history of Field House, so I thought I’d share my
incomplete research with you via the blog. What you’ll see from the timeline
below, is that there appears to have been a Field House on Ashby Road in the position
where the current Field House is, although it didn’t seem to take on that name until between
the time of the 1871 census and the 1881 census. What is a little puzzling is
the date that can clearly be seen on the side of Field House that faces onto
Epinal Way – 1887. In 1884, Walter Chapman Burder, who was later to own Field
House, took over the horticultural engineering business of Thomas Messenger, so
maybe this part of the house is an extension?
Of course, I'm kicking myself somewhat, as I have had occasion in the past to actually go into the house itself - well, I hung around in the hallway, waiting for someone - but I didn't pay any attention at all either to the house, or its grounds, gardens and Messenger conservatory!
Anyway, here’s a timeline for Field House. Please note I have retained the form of names as found in the documents I consulted, but it should still be fairly obvious when a named person is the same as another named person even if I have below referred to them differently, for example, as Mr J. Ball or Mr J. B. Ball.
Timeline
John Barrow was born in Leicestershire c.1800. He married Ann Bass (born c.1798) on 10 March 1821, in All Saints church. Their son, John Barrow was born in 1822, and further children included Joseph (born 1824) and Ann. John was a draper, and they lived at his property in Market Place.
On the 1841
census return the family are still living at the Market Place property. John
died on 18 September 1850, just before the 1851 census was taken, which is why we find son living at the Market Street
property, while Ann, John’s widow, was living with John her son, and a niece
and servant, in a house on Ashby Road, situated beyond The Grove and The Cottage, so
exactly where Field House is today. Perhaps the house was built for the Barrow family, between 1841 and 1850? Ann is described on this census return as a landed property owner, and at the time of the 1861 census, Ann is still living in this house.
 |
| Extract from the 1851 census showing the location of what was later known as Field House |
By the time
of the 1871 census, the returns clearly show that Field House existed on Ashby Road,
and was inhabited by Mrs Ann Barrows, a widow and landowner, and Samuel Price,
groom/domestic and Mary Berrington, housemaid.
 |
| Extract from the 1871 census showing the location of Field House |
Again, census returns
for 1881 also clearly show that Field House existed on Ashby Road, and was
inhabited by Mrs Ann Barrows, a widow and retired lady, and Samuel Price,
groom/domestic and Mary Goddard, housemaid.
In August 1885 Field House with outbuildings, gardens and plantations was put up for auction, along with the Stack Yard, and adjoining arable, meadow and pastureland. The house was described as having previously belonged to John Barrow. Until her own death, his wife, Ann, had occupied the house, outbuildings, yards, pleasure grounds, plantations, gardens and land called Home Close. The adjoining land was leased to Mr Frederick Caldwell.
 |
| Rear of Field House in 2020 |
In September
1885 the whole lot was sold to Mr J. Ball of Leicester Road, a few weeks before
his marriage to Ellen Perkins.
 |
| Extract from the Leicester Chronicle 12 Sept 1885, pg. 6 |
In November
1885, Field House on Ashby Road was up for let. The previous occupant was reported
to be Mrs Anne Barrow, but the owner was Mr John Bramley Ball of Leicester Road. [The
address is reported as No.18, but on the 1891 census, Mr Ball is living at
No.40 Leicester Road.] Field House was adjoined to Home Close, and comprised
around 4 acres in total. The house had extensive views of the forest, and was
‘commodious’ with well laid out gardens and plantations. There were a variety
of outbuildings, including stables, carriage houses, and harness rooms.
In June 1886 Mr Ball was again advertising Field House as to let, and in October 1886 Mr Ball puts the House up for auction at the King’s Head Hotel. Field House sells for £2050. Given that the date on the side of the current building is 1887 (see above picture), are we to suppose that most of the original property was demolished and replaced with a 'new build'? If so, with its Messenger conservatory, was the new house built by - or for - the new inhabitants?
On 14 July 1890, Walter Chapman Burder and his wife Elizabeth Jane Gifford (nee Nash) had a son, Raymond Gifford Burder, and the newspaper announcement records that the family were resident at Field House. This is confirmed by the 1891 census return, which shows that Field house was inhabited by Walter C. Burder, a horticultural engineer, and his family. He was the owner of Messenger’s and had been responsible for the construction of the 'Messenger village' – the houses on Oxford, Paget, Leopold and Station Street etc..
Census returns for 1901 and 1911 show that Walter Chapman Burder and his wife Elizabeth continued to live at Field House, and indeed did so until their deaths in 1931. Walter died on 15 June 1931, and Elizabeth shortly after, on 9 October 1931.
 |
| Extract from 1911 census return |
In 1933, Loughborough Junior College, which had previously been known as the Hickling Boy’s School and the Junior Technical School, bought Field House for £4,000. The college had had boarding students since 1923, and as their numbers grew, so it was worthwhile the college buying a suitable premises. Over the next 40-50 years, a variety of school students boarded at Field House, including a period when it was given over to girls only.
Today, Field House is used by the Leicester Riders for its basketball academy, which sees students attend Charnwood College, the successor to Burleigh Community College, which in turn was the successor to Loughborough College School, which was the name used after Loughborough Junior College.
 |
| Field House in 2020 |
You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:
