The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
Old Cottage
Old Cottage 2010
Originally a transitional three bay framed house, with an unusual short timber chimney, built from trees felled in 1571; it was probably built in 1572. The eastern bay (original kitchen) had no upper floor and a fire in the middle of the room. By 1600 a more traditional brick double fireplace had been built between the kitchen and the middle bay (the Hall) and in due course an upper room to the kitchen (the other two bays had original upper rooms).
Later the eastern bay was extended (note the thinner beams used) and later still a one storey extension on the west, giving scullery and pantry to the then kitchen (originally the parlour). In the 19th century a 2-storey extension was built out at the back (southern) side of the house.
The original 3 bay house’s front door (where a later porch was built) was at the front north side but the front door was moved to the east side of the house and in the 1960s to the back (south) of the house where a new porch replaced the outside loo!
The Geddes bought the cottage, then the gardener's cottage to Micheldever House, in 1966 and undertook a major overhaul, not only moving the front door (an inside loo now replaces the front door and hall on the east) but removing a chimney and garage from the back of the west side (now a kitchen) and replacing it with windows the width of the whole bay. The cottage was then listed.
Interestingly, one of the original bedrooms has a stone panel with a typological-coeval religious inscription in script (Luke 5.12) and remnants of floral painting in ochre are on the mid bay (original Hall) bressummer beam.
Click Here to read article from HFC Newsletter Historic Buildings Summer 2014
Click here to read article from HFC Newsletter Historic Buildings Spring 2016
Former Occupants
1911 Census Alice Barton
1939 Register Alice Barton
1966 – 1995 Guy & Audrey Geddes, who bought from Harold Leslie Layton, Nevil Frederick Henle and Charles Bertram Drover
1995 – 2018 John & Amanda Tilley
Our grateful thanks to Judi Lerwill-Harris for providing the above information.
Possible around 1910
Possibly around 1910
View from back garden
Possible around 1910