Hodsoll Street, new 'old' images

 

Two old postcards of Hodsoll Street, both showing the Green Man Pub. The top one I have never seen before, Green Man Pub is on the right, and one of my favourite houses is on the left, it still looks almost the same I think! I had to get a bit creative with the trees in the background, as there was a sticker over that area of the postcard. 

The image beneath has featured on my blog before, but it had a watermark over it,. I've managed to get rid of that now. 

These are both beautiful images of a bygone era. 

Wentfield, Fairseat

 

Many thanks to the knowledgeable Dick Hogbin of Stanstedhistory.org for identifying where this house is. It is on the left hand side of the Gravesend Road travelling north (more or less opposite the turning to Vigo). 

It was the home of the Lance family for many years. There is an article about the Lances on Dick's website on the area HERE.

Platt Farm / Platt House

I had to do a bit of detective work to track down the location of this old postcard found on Ebay, of Platt Farm, Fairseat. I am estimating it to be from the 20s/30s era.

The house is now known as Platt House, and is, naturally, near the junction of Platt House Lane/Wrotham Hill Lane/Fairseat Lane.

It has been much extended and modernised, and is now painted white, and below is a recent photo, taken from almost the same spot. I remember when I moved to the area in late 2001 it was undergoing extensive work at that time, or shortly afterwards. You can still just about see the two shield plaques above the left and right upper windows. I would be interested to know if anyone knows what they represent. The house was recently sold in March 2021. 

BBC short film featuring Daphne Oram of Tower Folly, Fairseat

Nice little film by the BBC featuring pioneering women working in Electronic sounds and music. Daphne Oram is shown at the beginning, and just at the end of her segment you see her working in her studio at Tower Folly. Click here for link

My original blog post on Daphne is here.

Old postcard of Soranks Cottage, Fairseat

 Very nice old image of Soranks Cottage, I would imagine it was taken about 1930. When I first moved to the area, Soranks Cottage was very run down and looked almost derelict so I was surprised to find out that someone still lived there. I'm sure there is a story therein, to tell. The cottage was renovated and extended approx. 2006? It still retains much of its character, including the front low wall and railings, and half-round shaped window on the 1st floor.

Fantastic maps of local area found here

https://www.oldmapsonline.org/

If you click the link above, and put Stansted into the search area (at top left) and press return, you are presented with a list of maps on the right hand side (may work differently on mobile devices). Click each map and then click 'View Map'. The maps are scaleable, and full of amazing detail. I could spend hours looking at them! Below is a screenshot from one map. It shows Fairseat Lane marked as Horns Lodge Road, which is a much more apt name considering that the house at the end called Horns Lodge is one of the oldest in the area. You can see the full map here.

Fairseat House - another vintage postcard dated 1912

I have posted an old vintage postcard of the Georgian era Fairseat House before, it can be found here. This post threw up the information that the house was once a school.

Today I have found a new vintage postcard of the house, and this one has the date written on the back, which pleases me greatly as it's so much more informative to get a date for images. This image is taken in winter, whilst the one in the other post is taken in summer. I believe this is the earlier image, as the other has the addition of what looks like an entrance porch, seen where the two buildings join together. However I could be wrong, as modern day images of the house (see last image) show no porch now. So it's possible that it's the other way around.

The modern day image of the house (above) also shows the reduction, from three floors to two, of the building on the right. I wonder when that happened? Perhaps when it ceased being a school? Also shows bay window enlargement on left, and the windows have changed in style. It is a beautiful house, in a lovely secluded position, and I always admire the top of it peeking out from over the hedge when I walk the footpath behind it through the fields from the village pond.