Spotlight on Field House

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:

Dyer, Lynne (2020). Spotlight on Field House. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/06/spotlight-on-field-house.html  [Accessed: 28 June 2020]

Take down policy:

I post no pictures that are not my own, unless I have express permission so to do. All text is my own, and not copied from any other information sources, printed or electronic, unless identified and credited as such. If you find I have posted something in contravention of these statements, or if there are photographs of you which you would prefer not to be here, please contact me at the address listed on the About Me page, and I will remove these.

If you wish to leave a comment, please do so in the comments box that appears below this blogpost. Alternatively, you can contact me via lynneaboutloughborough[at]gmail[dot]com.

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Lynne     

We could even see the Brush

Many thanks to last week's guest blogger! I do hope you enjoyed reading Ursula's post last week! I know I certainly appreciated being reminded of places I've been to often, but not been to recently because of staying at home. And it was perhaps these memories that prompted me to do something I've never done before ...

I was pretty sure I'd blogged here about visits to Beacon Hill, but last week, when I looked back, I couldn't find any mentions! So, I thought I'd put this right today, and share some photos I took from the top of Beacon Hill last night, 20th June, the Summer Solstice. We arrived just after 9pm and walked up to the top of the Beacon from Woodhouse Eaves. The ferns had grown enormously, and alpacas were hiding, but the sheep were out in force. On the horizon, as we walked up the path to the top, there was a lone, long-horned cow.  

Lush ferns

Sheep

Lone long-horned cow

I wasn't surprised to see quite a few people already up there, some making a shelter, others enjoying a picnic, and others clambering on the rocks, taking photos against the backdrop of the darkening sky. 

How lovely it was that last week's guest blogger was able to join us for this exciting event. Despite the breeze and the social distancing, we were still able to have a lovely chat!

Looking out over Loughborough and the surrounding area, there were a few landmarks that were easily spottable - like the M1, busy with cars, Towers, but more surprisingly we could see the lovely neon sign all the way down at the Brush!!! I am most definitely not the best photographer, so hopefully you can spot the Brush's pinkish sign!

The string of car lights on the M1

The Brush neon sign clearly visible

The Brush at night, taken from the railway station

Gradually, the sky began to redden, and the clouds began to make beautiful shapes in the sky.

Finally, the sun had set and it was time to go home. Other people clearly had the same idea.

Making our way back down the path, we passed some beautifully coloured sky sandwiched between the silhouetted trees. 

I've never been to Beacon Hill in the dark before, but it was definitely an experience that I'd repeat.

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2020). We could even see the Brush! Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/06/we-could-even-see-brush.html  [Accessed: 21 June 2020]

Take down policy:

I post no pictures that are not my own, unless I have express permission so to do. All text is my own, and not copied from any other information sources, printed or electronic, unless identified and credited as such. If you find I have posted something in contravention of these statements, or if there are photographs of you which you would prefer not to be here, please contact me at the address listed on the About Me page, and I will remove these.

If you wish to leave a comment, please do so in the comments box that appears below this blogpost. Alternatively, you can contact me via lynneaboutloughborough[at]gmail[dot]com.

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Lynne     

Life in Locked Down Loughborough

Lockdown Life in Loughborough

So, it's been a couple of months since I last invited a guest blogger to write a post for the blog the first on the fate of Zeppelin L 20 and its commander, the second about artists in Loughborough, Leicester and Leicestershire. The contribution from today's guest blogger is a little different, in that it's a reflection of what a young twenty-something, who is Loughborough-born, but also a student at Loughborough University, has discovered about her hometown during the period of lockdown, from the end of March 2020 to today. Do, please read on!

"When my mum asked me if I’d write a blog post about my life during lockdown I initially thought, gosh what on earth would I have to write about? Surely, I have nothing worthy to say whilst I’ve been hiding away in my studio flat in student accommodation… Surely other people have had a more colourful lockdown experience?

The truth is, I have felt privileged to reside in the bubble of my student accommodation, continuing my studies towards my PhD accompanied by my partner. Many of my friends are key workers and remained working for the duration of lockdown, other friends have been furloughed but I have continued to receive financial support from my research stipend.

One thing I have been extremely grateful for that I perhaps had not appreciated before, is the extensive nature surrounding my small hometown. I have always known there are many beautiful areas in close proximity to me but it is a shame that it has taken a global pandemic to slow my pace of life and to encourage me to use my two feet and get out there and see what’s about!

Loughborough Canal during lockdown April 2020

It has now been several weeks since we were allowed outside for longer than one hour and for multiple bouts of exercise. Prior to this change, my walks were somewhat short and limited in the freedom but pleasant, nonetheless. I am now extremely familiar with my University’s campus and the treats that can be found hidden in genius places (I am of course referring to Geocaches – I highly recommend looking into Geocaches ⁽¹⁾,  if like me you like to have a purpose to your walk, other than simply walking).

Venturing a bit further than the University my partner and I took some time to explore Burleigh Woods. We followed the trail leading out from the Holywell end of the campus and found ourselves in a lovely woodland area. It has been years since I have explored that end of Loughborough. Our timing was perfect, the tranquility of the wood, the vibrancy of late spring meant there was plenty for us to see. We followed the wood round and peeked out towards the direction of the Priory, normally something I’d only ever see from the roadside.

Burleigh Woods

 

We continued full circle to find ourselves back at the Holywell conference centre. Eager for more “treasure” my partner insisted we continue across the A512, through the playground behind the Harvester [formerly the Sea Around Us] towards the Bluebell Line. When I think about it I really am ashamed I haven’t paid more attention to the history of my little hometown. To think a path I have walked many a time used to be a railway line! By this point my little legs were aching for a rest, much to my partner’s dismay. I promised him we’d return to locate any remaining treasure.

And return we did! Only this time we began our walk by retracing our steps down the path, beginning at the park on Garendon Road, our destination was Booth Wood, with of course plenty of stops for Geocaching. Booth Wood is another area I don’t think I’ve ever paid much attention to, but I’m glad I have now. The woodlands are beautiful, small and compact but encompassing and grand. We explored for a while and ventured on to find ourselves at the Obelisk! Now this was something I’d heard about, thanks Mum! A funny structure, with, as I understand it, the purpose of indicating grandeur and rank of the landowner. 

The Obelisk from Burleigh school playing fields

Having recently learned about the grounds on which the Obelisk was built it felt rather nice to turn my back to the Obelisk and absorb the landscape. A moment of reflection made me rather sad that this landscape would be, and is, changing somewhat with the ongoing building developments. Our walk brought us round to Nether Top Game farm, where we rested a moment and, yes you guessed it, searched for more treasure! If there was monetary value attached to the treasure, I’d surely be wealthy by now with all the treasure hunting I’ve done over the last few weeks. Satisfied with our finds, we continued on to Stonebow Bridge where we crossed the Blackbrook. By now I was definitely ready to return home!

My usual spots for outdoor exercise include the Outwoods, Charnwood Water and Beacon Hill. I have enjoyed visiting new areas, but that’s not to say I have neglected my favourite spots. I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Outwoods (closed during initial lockdown period but “opened” up as rules changed) and observing the change in the surroundings. Ongoing work to reintroduce native trees meant that established non-native trees were felled, which I was initially saddened by, but the motivation seems reasonable. The Outwoods is perfectly spacious and full of lots of little nice spots to stop and observe, making it a perfect place to wander aimlessly.

The Outwoods

Our shorter walks have also enabled us to walk through and explore the local streets, and I’ve been able to reflect on how much Loughborough has changed just during my lifetime let alone across the many decades. Places I have taken for granted such as Queen’s Park and Lodge Farm (although I’m told I’m one of few who refer to it as Lodge Farm  ⁽²⁾), have provided some form of comfort knowing they’re still there and fairly tranquil in this unsettling time when the world is responding to a global pandemic.

Queen's Park during summer 2019

Disclaimer: it should be noted that hygiene precautions were taken when searching for Geocaches!

Footnotes

(1) Geocaches - an item, like a container which holds a number of other items, that has been hidden at a location whose coordinates have been posted on the Internet.

(2) Lodge Farm is the large grassy area off Outwoods Drive, and beside Brookfield Avenue and the Wood Brook, although its postal address is Oakley Drive, and is where I learned to ride my bike without stabilisers. 

About the author

Ursula Davis was born and brought up in Loughborough. She attended Pinfold Gate Day Nursery which was in the Warner School, followed by Holywell Primary School, Garendon High School and then Burleigh. After graduating from Reading University she continued her studies at Loughborough, gaining an MSc, and then went to work at UCAS. She is currently back in Loughborough, where she is studying for a PhD at the university. In her spare time Ursula enjoys power-lifting, cycling and socialising with her friends, as well as growing plants, and the odd bit of macrame!  

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2020). Life in locked down Loughborough. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/06/life-in-locked-down-loughborough.html [Accessed: 14 June 2020]

Take down policy:

I post no pictures that are not my own, unless I have express permission so to do. All text is my own, and not copied from any other information sources, printed or electronic, unless identified and credited as such. If you find I have posted something in contravention of these statements, or if there are photographs of you which you would prefer not to be here, please contact me at the address listed on the About Me page, and I will remove these.

If you wish to leave a comment, please do so in the comments box that appears below this blogpost. Alternatively, you can contact me via lynneaboutloughborough[at]gmail[dot]com.

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Lynne     

Death and funeral of Reverend Henry Fearon

Reverend Henry Fearon: on the 135th anniversary of his death and funeral

On Friday 12 June, 1885 ⁽¹⁾, at the age of 82 ⁽²⁾, and only 8 days off his 83^rd birthday, the Reverend Henry Fearon, Rector of Loughborough, and Archdeacon of Leicester, passed away. Fearon had retired from the archdeaconry in early April, 1884, due to failing health, but had been granted permission by the Bishop of Peterborough to retain the title of archdeacon. Reverend Fearon had been in declining health for some time, and had refrained from taking part in the services of the church for several months. The final two months of his life were spent confined to his bed, under the care of Dr Eddowes ⁽³⁾ right up until the time of his death.

The living at Loughborough, which became vacant upon the death of Fearon, was variously described as being valued at anything from £800, through £988 to over £1,000 per year, a substantial amount, and probably one of the highest in the country at the time. It was not until the beginning of August 1885, that a successor to Fearon was appointed, when Reverend Thomas Pitts, MA and Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, accepted the living of Loughborough. Reverend Pitts had previously been a master of the Haileybury School, an independent school in Hertfordshire. By contrast, the Bishop of Peterborough was quick to confer the 8^th Honorary Canonry on Reverend John Martyn Collyns, MA, and Rector of Daventry, and Reverend Collyns was installed at a service on the afternoon of Saturday 27 June 1885. Reverend Canon Assheton Pownell, MA, and graduate of Brasenose College Oxford, and Rector of South Kilworth, had been appointed to the archdeaconry of Leicester immediately upon Fearon’s resignation in April 1884.

Fearon’s death was reported widely in the press of the day ⁽⁴⁾. He was variously described as a most learned and courteous divine, and a moderate Liberal. Some newspapers reported on the admirable and kindly manner in which he performed his important duties, and how he gained the respect and esteem of the community of Loughborough. It was also said that one couldn’t over-estimate the value of his dedication to the cause of education, and his unfailing interest in the welfare of the working classes. During his time as rector, the church of All Saints had been improved, the ecclesiastical affairs of the parish had been developed, and all in a quiet and unostentatious manner. Fearon was reported to be earnest, making practical efforts to improve the condition of those around him, and a striking feature of his life was the charitable way in which he treated those of differing religious beliefs to his own.

Reverend Fearon’s funeral took place on Friday 19 June, the service being held at All Saints church, and the burial at the town cemetery on Leicester Road. The ceremony itself was simple, and the whole day was declared a day of mourning. Most of the shops in the town centre closed just before the time of the funeral, and even the blinds of private houses were drawn. All the town factories were closed for several hours so that the workers could pay their last respects to Reverend Fearon: as such thousands of townsfolk were able to attend the funeral or line the route of the funeral procession. The bells of All Saints, Holy Trinity church and Emmanuel church were tolled, and the flag on the tower of the Grammar School was mounted at half-mast.

The funeral procession was extensive, comprising both relatives and friends of Fearon; both clergy from the archdeaconry and non-conformist ministers from Loughborough; representatives from different public bodies and tenants of the reverend. In fact, so extensive was the procession that entry to the church service at All Saints was by ticket only. The cortege arrived at the church just before 2.30 on the afternoon of Friday 19 June, where, on entering through the west door, it was met by the sounds of a combined choir of over 80 voices from All Saints, Holy Trinity church and Emmanuel church, singing ‘When our heads are bowed with woe’.

Members of the congregation who were not part of the procession had been seated for over an hour before the procession entered the church. Once everyone was seated, the, which was taken by the Reverend James Mountain, the curate of All Saints, began. The lesson was read by Reverend L.L. Cooper of St John’s church in Leicester, and Dr Briggs, the organist at All Saints, brought the service to a close with a rendition of ‘Dead march’ from Handel’s Oratorio, ‘Saul’ ⁽⁵⁾.  

The funeral procession then made its way to the cemetery on Leicester Road, led by the sexton, Mr T. Grundy. Leaving the church at about 3pm, the procession went down Church Gate, passed the edge of Market Place, then along High Street and up Leicester Road to the cemetery, passing hundreds of mourners along its way. The whole journey of just under a mile-and-a half took about an hour to reach its destination. The massed choir sang ‘Jesus lives no longer now’ as the procession entered the cemetery gates, and did so also at the graveside. The service at the graveside was read first by the Reverend J. B. N. Woodroffe, followed by the Reverend Mountain, and the benediction was pronounced by the Venerable Archdeacon Lightfoot. The grave was layered with dark leaves, a cross of white flowers, and circles of daisies, and on the ledges were white blossoms fringed with ferns. The locally made oak coffin, with brass fittings and an inscribed brass plate, was covered in wreaths and crosses.

On the Sunday following Reverend Fearon’s funeral, a funeral service was held at All Saints, the sermon being preached by Reverend Lewis Clayton of St Margaret’s church in Leicester, assisted by Reverend Mountain and the Reverend R. H. Parsons. The chosen text read from the bible, was from the 9^th verse of the 4^th chapter of Phillippians, which was chosen for its appropriateness to the situation in Loughborough, and for its obvious application to the Reverend Fearon, a man who most certainly practised what he preached, and a man who was always ready to forgive. Later that same evening, the Reverend Martin preached to another large congregation, whilst the Reverend E. Bell held a special service at Holy Trinity church, and reference was made to the funeral of the Reverend Fearon at Emmanuel and other churches across the town.

Post-Script Further details of the life of the Reverend Henry Fearon can be found elsewhere on this blog, as can memories of happy times for the Reverend Fearon. 

Footnotes

(1) Newspaper reports of the time vary widely in their statements about the date of Reverend Fearon’s death: some quoted 7.50 on the evening of Thursday 11 June, others Friday 12 June and yet others Saturday 13 June. Friday 12 June is the date recorded in the probate record.

(2) Again, newspaper reports of the time claim the Reverend Fearon was 82, 83, 85 or even 89 at the time of his death. His birth is recorded as 20 June 1802, and he was baptised on 8 September 1802.

(3) I am unclear which Dr Eddowes was attending Reverend Fearon: this could have been John Henry (jun.) or his brother, Arthur Benjamin Jackson Eddowes. 

(4) The report of the funeral and burial of Fearon which appeared in the ‘Nottinghamshire Guardian’ of 26 June 1885, was ironically immediately followed by an article describing the opening of a new reservoir at Park Row, Nottingham, which cost around £12,000, the reservoir being capable of holding 2.25 gallons. In 1870 Fearon had been instrumental in providing Loughborough with a clean supply of fresh water from Nanpantan Reservoir, and presented the town with the Fearon Fountain, which, along with the more recent ‘Sockman’ is an iconic feature of Loughborough’s Market Place.

(5) The librettist who wrote 'Saul' was Charles Jennens, from Gopsall Hall, in Leicestershire, with whom Handel had a close friendship, and whom he visited often. 

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2020). Death and funeral of Reverend Henry Fearon. Available from:https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-and-funeral-of-reverend-henry.html  [Accessed: 7 June 2020]

Take down policy:

I post no pictures that are not my own, unless I have express permission so to do. All text is my own, and not copied from any other information sources, printed or electronic, unless identified and credited as such. If you find I have posted something in contravention of these statements, or if there are photographs of you which you would prefer not to be here, please contact me at the address listed on the About Me page, and I will remove these.

If you wish to leave a comment, please do so in the comments box that appears below this blogpost. Alternatively, you can contact me via lynneaboutloughborough[at]gmail[dot]com.

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Lynne