Spotlight on Glebe House

Nestled between a primary school, the former home of Loughborough’s first mayor, and close to a university hall of residence, on what is affectionately known as the Forest Green Belt, Glebe House will be a name well known to those who are familiar with Loughborough. For many years the property was home to the Glebe House project, being used by Loughborough MENCAP from about 1982 until 2010. 

Glebe House

But what of the building before this, and what afterwards? And what exactly does this have to do with no.57 Forest Road - now part of a student property, but once part of the Forest Rise Hotel - and an unassuming mid-twentieth century property, no.47 Forest Road?

Rev. William Holme, who was Rector of Loughborough, initiated the dividing of Loughborough from one large parish, served by the church of All Saints, into two parishes. As a result of this, the building of Emmanuel church began in 1835, and was completed by 1837, with the service of dedication being held on 4 September 1837. At this time (and until 1839) Loughborough was in the diocese of Lincoln.

As Rev. Holme was the rector of the whole of Loughborough, he resided at the Rectory in Rectory Road, practically adjacent to the church of All Saints. When the reverend died in 1848, a new rector for Loughborough (i.e. the parish of All Saints) was appointed, as was a rector for the relatively new parish of Emmanuel.

The Old Rectory on Rectory Road, home to the Rector of All Saints

Rev. Robert James Bunch arrived in Loughborough in 1848, and in June of that year Rev. Bunch married Mary Anne Cooper, daughter of the Rev. B. Cooper, Rector of Lewcombe in Dorset, at Christ Church, St Pancras.

On the 1851 census, Rev. Bunch and his wife are listed at The Grove on Ashby Road, the family home of the banking dynasty of Middleton. 

The Grove, Ashby Road

However, also in 1851 the new rectory for the Emmanuel church was completed at a cost of around £2,000 to build. Apparently this new rectory was designed to be similar to the vicarage in Yetminster, Dorset, as both Mrs Bunch’s grandfather and father had been the vicar there. What emerged was a beautiful red-brick Victorian Gothic rectory, which today appears on the register of Locally Listed Buildings.  

During the time that Rev. Bunch and his family were living at the rectory, in October 1869 there were a series of about nine fires, deliberately set alight, all in a straight line and within a quarter of a mile of each other. According to a newspaper report, “On the right, and very near to Emmanuel Rectory, the residence of the Rev. R.J. Bunch, a haystack, the produce of six acres, belonging to Mr Robert Handley, was being consumed.” The perpetrator of the crime had given himself up and confessed to the police.

On 19 June 1870, Rev. Bunch died, and in August 1870 the auction house on Baxter Gate were auctioning valuable furniture and contents from the rectory, including 700-800 volumes of books. Bunch’s position as rector was filled by Rev. Octavius Glover, a bachelor who lived in the rectory with his four servants. Rev. Glover retired from his position as rector of Emmanuel in 1904, and died in Torquay the following year. Oddly, in August of 1904 the auction house of Garton and Amatt on Baxter Gate was again auctioning furniture etc. from the Emmanuel Rectory.

The former offices of auctioneers, Garton and Amatt

It was in September of 1904, following the retirement of Rev. Glover, that the Rev. Richard H. Fuller first appeared to preach at Emmanuel church. He and his family lived at the Rectory, but there were a number of things about the building which worried him: the house wasn’t connected to the local water supply, instead relying on water drawn from a well, and the sewerage system was not up to scratch either, nor did Rev. Fuller appreciate the necessity for employing a large number of servants! In March 1907, Mr Beeby, a 24-year old gardener with 2.5 years’ experience was advertising that he was looking for a position elsewhere: the address given in the advert was the Emmanuel Rectory Loughborough, and it appeared in the Stamford Mercury.  

Rev. Fuller continued to live at the rectory until about 1920. During the period from 1904 – 1920, there were many newsworthy things happening. 

In 1908 there was an extensive report in the newspaper about one of the many fetes and sales of work that were held in the rectory grounds. Apart from giving everyone the chance to have fun, the aim of the fete was to raise funds to improve and extend the church. Although the rain fell, and people got bogged down in the garden, the event went well, and funds were, indeed, raised.

In 1911 Mr Amatt was auctioning, amongst other things, a plot of freehold building land on Forest Road, previously belonging to Mrs S.J. Crosher. The plot was currently occupied by Mr Scott, and was subject to Land Tax and a Tithe Rent of 14s. 6d. payable to the Rector of Emmanuel. The plot had a frontage of 90 feet onto Forest Road, and was of 1,036 square feet.

In March 1914 the ‘Loughborough Echo’ reported that a nest of thrushes were hatched in the Emmanuel Rectory garden. And in September that same year an appeal was put out by H. Sabina Fuller [sic] of Emmanuel Rectory for people to knit socks for soldiers, as the War Office allowance was only three pairs.

A couple of years later, in March 1916 a young person was charged with stealing a cycle lamp used by Miss Fuller, and belonging to Rev R.H.  Fuller of Emmanuel Rectory and worth 6s. 6d.. This was taken in October 1915 from outside Rosebery School, while Miss Fuller was attending a nursing class. 

In August 1917 ‘The Tatler’ carried the announcement of the marriage between Miss Cecil Sabrina Fuller, the only daughter of Rev R.H. Fuller and his wife, with Mr Maurice Woolley.

In 1920, Emmanuel Church bought a smaller property, on Forest Road, as a home for the rector. This house, at no.57, was a semi-detached Victorian red-brick villa, which has more recently been the left-hand half of the Forest Rise Hotel, now student accommodation. At the time of purchase, the house was just over £4,500, and despite being smaller than the original rectory, still had six bedrooms!

These two semi-detached properties, nos.55 (right) & 57 (left), have been merged

Perhaps it was at this time that the 1851 rectory became known as Glebe House, to make it more easily differentiated from the new rectory?

Let’s very quickly look at successive rectors and their homes …

Rev. Fuller moved on in 1923 to become rector of North Luffenham in Rutland, and Rev. Douglas A. Robson took over from him. Rev. Robson came from Par in Cornwall, and when he moved on in 1939, it was to South Kilworth in Leicestershire. Rev. Harold Marley took over in 1939, coming from Sedgley, and moving to be rector of Thorpe Morieux in Suffolk.

Rev. Lancelot Edgell Dashwood became Rector of Emmanuel in 1951, following on from Rev. Marley. His immediately previous position was as vicar of Hugglescote and he retired in 1961 to Hothfield in Kent. It was during Rev. Dashwood’s incumbency, in 1953-54, that the current rectory, no.47 Forest Road was built and became home to future rectors.

No.47 Forest Road

The rector from 1961-1969 was Rev. Alfred Reginald Meakin, who came to Loughborough from the position of Rector of Appleby Magna. ‘Rex’ as he was known, retired to Dorset in 1969, and his shoes were filled in 1970 by Rev. Ian D. Campbell, who, in 1980 moved on to become vicar of All Saints in Leamington Spa. Coming from Thorpe Arnold, near Melton Mowbray, Michael T.H. Banks became Rector of Emmanuel in 1980. Rev. Banks was followed by Rev. David Newman, who left Emmanuel in 2009 to become Warden at Launde Abbey, and he was followed in the role at Emmanuel by Rev. Michael Broadley, who remains as rector today, and resides at no.47.

So, now we’ve seen where the rector resides after 1920, wouldn’t it be interesting to know what happens to ‘Glebe House’ once the rector moves out?

Find out in the next post!!!

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Dyer, Lynne (2020). Spotlight on Glebe House. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/11/spotlight-on-glebe-house.html [Accessed 6 December 2020]

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