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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Northumberland => Topic started by: Gen List Lass on Thursday 28 June 12 08:35 BST (UK)
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On the southern junction of Ridley Avenue and Park View in Blyth, there is a house unlike any others in the area.
It looks like a little French or Dutch villa and it sits on a triangle of land where the two roads meet.
Anyone know its history?
Gen in NBL England
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On the southern junction of Ridley Avenue and Park View in Blyth, there is a house unlike any others in the area.
It looks like a little French or Dutch villa and it sits on a triangle of land where the two roads meet.
Anyone know its history?
Gen in NBL England
was it not an old hospital at one time
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Not sure if that was a hospital but it was certainly the site of the old hospital.
See photo posted by phodgetts - reply no. 11, Gen
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,317038.10.html
Christine
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Hi Christine
That is definitely the same house! It's a bit different now, entrance changed and painted below, iron railings either gone or hidden by tall hedge...... site of old cottage hospital....?
As the old hospital is now gone, this must be a later building. The 1911 census only shows a builder living in Ridley Terrace, maybe he was the one who built the unusual house?
Gen in NBL England
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I've had a look at all the available maps on Old Maps and the building in question has never had a description put with it, i.e. hopsital, doctors house, nut house or anything like that. I therefore assume it has always been a private dwelling, most likely built by a local successful business person, perhaps a Free Mason or Odd Fellow or Buffalo bod. It's unique look has always fascinated me. It would seem that the columns at the front door have either been covered over or completely replaced unsympathetically, most likely due to the timbers rotting away. If there is nothing available in the library that tells us who built this house and when.......... I wonder who might be brave enough to go knock on their door and ask the current owners what they know. If someone does decide to do just that, drop me a line and I will gladly send you a digital image that you can print off on A4 photo paper and give to them, just to prove that it is of local historical interest. I think they would be quite pleased to have the old picture to hang on their hall wall, if they haven't already got a similar image.
I have also sent message to my Blyth 'mole' to see what can be found out. Watch this space.
P
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I wonder what it's street address is, then we could look in postal/trade directories. Could be on either Park View or Ridley Terrace........ hmm.
I go past it about once or twice a month, so next time I'll either do the door-knocking or get the proper address.
The owners probably would like a proper photo IF they haven't already got it! If I was the owner of a distinctive house like this one, I would research it's history if it's not already in the deeds...
Gen in NBL England
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I had a look at it on Street View and the (modern) entrance is on Park View and the "approximate" address is stated as 1 Park View
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Will check it at Woodhorn if I go today. WET! Again:-)
Gen in NBL England
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The main entrance appears to be on Park View and from what I can make out on modern mapping, there is a no. 10 on the left gate post.
P
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Mystery solved at Woodhorn today!
I found the building plan by an architect called R Baxter on behalf of Mr Fred Lund. The plan was approved on 13 Oct 1910. It was part of Lord Ridley's Park Eastate. It had 3 bedrooms and an attic one reached by a spiral staircase presumably for a servant.
The house mustn't have been finished by the 1911 census as Mr Fred Lund was living at 29 Wellington St, Blyth.
However in Kellys Dir 1921:
Blyth private residents
LUND Frederick J o(?) Park View
Blyth commercial
LUND C and Co, ships chandlers, 8 Quay Road.
"Lund C and Co" stood for Carl Lund, mentioned in the Kellys Directory of 1902
"Blyth commercial
LUND Carl & Son, ships chandlers, 13 Sussex St, Blyth"
Probate of Fred Lund shows he no longer lived at 10 Park View:
“LUND Frederick John of 66 Beaconsfield Street, Blyth NBL died 3 Oct 1942 Probate LLandudno 24 Feb to Edwin Emley solicitor Effefcts £ 3571 5s"
AS Lund is a Scandinavian name I'm speculating whether the design of the house reminded him of his homeland or was just fashionable at the time perhaps.
Gen in NBL England
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Thank you so much for taking the trouble to dig a bit.
The name Lund has been bugging me to say the least. I have just searched through every last photo I have of Blyth and eventually found out which Lund had been stirring my little grey cells. I knew I had one somewhere!
A photo of a ship named S. C. LUND.
I wonder if there was a connection? Probably not, but then again......... Though, Red Herring and all that. The ship was registered at Tonsberg, Norway.
Do you want to see the ship? I don't want to post it, and end up diverting the thread subject matter.
Very glad to have this bit of info to add to the image. Every little helps! ;D
Thanks again
Philip
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My folks still in Ridley Ave if you need any knocking done!
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Interesting Phil....I'm satisfied with what I set out to do now.
ridley - thanks for the offer - amazing the links the folks on Rootschat have!
Gen in NBL England
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I actually live in the house next door to the house in question, and yes it was a Sailer captain from Norway or Sweden as such, Its always been more of the Haunted looking styled estates in the neighbour hood i must say. If i had only seen this post a few weeks ago it wouldnt have been such a challenge finding out its history ! Old photo from the 50's..ish
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Welcome to rootschat :D
Interesting to follow the changes in the surrounding area over time - and the columns are still in place.
Christine
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I was trying to work out what that car on the left is. I thought it was perhaps a Hillman Minx, but the light cluster has thrown me. The car will obviously give a better idea as to the date / era of the picture. Amazingly those concrete lamp stands are still in place although the tops have been replaced with steel sleeves and lamp holders. It is possible that those lamp stands are almost 60 years old!
P
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Hahaha Christine, we posted at much the same time. ;D
P
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My guess would be that the railings were removed to help in the war effort and were 'replaced' by the hedge....but that is just a guess based on what happened a lot back in the war years .
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Gotcha! The car is a Singer Gazelle of a body type known as IIIA which applied to the Hillman Minx too. The Gazelle was produced 1959 - 63 in that guise. The point being that the picture had to be taken no earlier than 1959.
P
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The two cars were very similar - we had a Singer at one time. In fact I took my first tentative steps towards driving in our old Singer!
Looking at the way the guy on the corner is dressed I'd say late 50s to mid 60s. No-one wore trousers that narrow later in the 60s ;D
Christine
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Great to see yet another old photo of the "Scandewegian house".
I did a bit of architectural digging on the internet and the design was a bit dated when the house was built. Bits of art nouveau styling. Popular 1890-1910 so built at the tail end of that era. Probably still very modern in Blyth at that time:-)
Gen in NBL England
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There was a shop with the name LUND selling seamen's outfits and clothing. I wonder if he or one of his family had anything to do with that?
The location of the shop was on Bridge Street directly opposite the end of Freehold Street. The site has been swallowed up by the bus depot.
P
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Could be, I think the LUND's were something to do with ships chandlers or similar on the census.
Gen in NBL England
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In the 1950's & '60's the house was owned by the Benson family.
He worked (I believe) for Blyth Harbour Commission.
The house next door in Park View was owned at that time by Capt Ralph Thompson, ex RN (where he commanded HMS Cowslip) and later a Blyth river pilot, his wife's name Gwen.
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Since the house quest is almost over, i want to start another one...Tweed House on Middleton Street. Lived next to it for years, got wrong off the woman over the road for playing in the gardens when it was derelict...then when the new owners moved in, drawing it and giving them the picture haha
It has a date stone, but i can't remember it...i remember someone saying it was a care home for a while, but who lived there before that? It's another weird Architectural style, i think it's Dutch also.
Image from Google Maps Streetview
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Not absolutely certain but I have a strong inkling that Tweed House was in the 1950's/60's the home of the Carter family-The then Town Clerk (Today's equivalent I cannot hope to presume).
Whether at the time the house was the property of Borough of Blyth Council I know not.
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I must have have walked past Tweed house a hundred times between 1990 and 1997 when I was going shopping for my Mum in Blyth.
I'm not sure, but I think it was some kind of council office at that time.
To go back to the big house near the park - the roof is very like the empire style houses in France, There are several in the area where we're living now (SW France.) Also called the Mansard roof.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansard_roof
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The house opposite the park was built by a Norwegian Sea Captain for his family. Info provided to me from both my Grandfather (who was forman coppersmith at Blyth Shipyard) and my mother - Mum would have been +/-85 yrs now.