Peckfield Cottages

In this extract from the 1909 Ordnance Survey Map we see in field number 285 a row of buildings fronting High Street at the point where, today, the road enters Peckfield. The same buildings can be detected on the 1853 survey. The buildings were cottages with thatched roofs and stood here until they were demolished to make way for the development of the Peckfield estate in the middle of the 20th century.

In Book One (Villagers' Reminiscences), Eric Lundell recalled how "Johnny Bowers (Roger's grandfather) had his wooden joiner's shop just across the road from the Old Mill - where Peckfield Close is now. There used to be old thatched cottages 'top side of Calvert's shop' and Johnny's mother lived in one of them. When the council houses were about to be built, they had to be pulled down."

The Land Valuation survey of 1910 describes the cottages as follows. . . "2 cottages and gardens. Occupier J.W. Bowers and M.A.Jeffrey. Owner (freehold) Wm. Sheepshanks. Half yearly rent £2.12.0d and £3.11.0d.
Old thatched stone cottages with small garden. 1 room & 1 bedroom to each. One of the cottages is too damp and dilapidated for habitation and is used by tenant as store and workshop. Wood joiner's workshop tenant's."

Bernard Wilson (1919-1998) lived all his life in the village and, like other villagers still surviving, must have seen the thatched cottages very often. He painted this water-colour of them as he remembered them.

There will have been many other thatched buildings in the village in past years but these have the distinction of being the last.