Great Eastern 1865 crossing keepers house

[Fen End Pit]

Hi All

 

I'm getting to the point of thinking about drawing up the crossing keeper's cottage adjacent the the Ashen Road level crossing at Clare on the Stour Valley Line. The building is still in existence but has been heavily modified/extended. The 1890's map shows the property and it appears to be just a single rectangular block, basically a smaller version of the accommodation block of the typical 1865 station building without the booking hall or waiting room.

 

 

My present day photograph shows the original 1865 part but I believe that the porch and the rear wing are new build (no matching quoins at the corners, flat not arched windows not quite matching)

 

 

I don't suppose anyone can confirm this or has a photo of another less altered 1865 crossing keepers house.

 

I'm quite surprised just how small it appears to be, brick counting would get a ground floor area of about 15' x 25' which I think feels about right for a small 2-up 2-down dwelling.

 

Any views?

 

David

Edited March 31, 2022 by Fen End Pit
loss of photos

[Wickham Green too]

The main block is clearly in English bond but whoever's extended it ( while matching the brick colour ) hasn't matched the bond on the porch or conservatory or - I think - the main rear extension ( there's not enough shown to be sure ). Yes, it's pretty small but it's for a relatively lowly railway servant ....... somewhat more elaborate than some crossing cottages, though.

[Fen End Pit]

23 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

The main block is clearly in English bond but whoever's extended it ( while matching the brick colour ) hasn't matched the bond on the porch or conservatory or - I think - the main rear extension ( there's not enough shown to be sure ). Yes, it's pretty small but it's for a relatively lowly railway servant ....... somewhat more elaborate than some crossing cottages, though.

I've just noticed that the main station building at Clare is Flemish bond but you're right this building is English bond. It reinforces my belief that the 'standardization' was basically a case of the GER producing a rough dimensioned drawing and then leaving the local builder to get on with it!

David

[PaulG]

Have you contacted Mike Senator,  the Great Eastern Railway Society Architectural Co-ordinator who I'm sure will be able to help?

 

Mike, the late George Pring and others surveyed many 1865 buildings and I published several articles in the GERS Journal. 

 

Paul

[bécasse]

Here is an attached pdf of a set of drawings for a GER 1865-style crossing keeper's house which have been sitting in my files for several decades. The drawings aren't mine but there is no note of their origin and I can't now remember where they came from, so apologies to the copyright holder.

It should be noted that these crossing keeper's houses were noticeably smaller than the remaining 1865-style buildings.

GER"1865"CrossingKeeper'sHouse.pdf

I am most grateful to Robock for subsequently identifying that these drawings are by Roger Farrant (I wonder if he is still with us?) and appeared in the September 1972 issue of Model Railways.

Edited March 11, 2022 by bécasse
Addition of details of the originator of the drawings.

[EddieB]

I hadn't realised that there was a crossing keeper's cottage at Clare! 

 

Here are a couple of others that illustrate the "1865" style, at Cavendish (red) and at Easton Lodge (yellow).  As can be seen, Flemish Bond is used in both.  The Great Eastern used local brick supplies in their buildings, but the brick colour of the restored(?) cottage at Clare looks more modern - although it seems strange, I'm wondering whether there has been some replacement.  I need to check whether I have any illustrations from its time in use - as Paul suggests, there are resources within the Great Eastern Railway Society (and membership benefits).

 

 

 

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by EddieB
Replace lost images.

[Fen End Pit]

Thank you so much for those drawings and photographs. I had been trying to square the census return from 1911 which declared the property as having 5 rooms with the original rectangle drawn on the 1901 OS map. Clearly the main block was '2 up, 2 down' and there was the single storey rear block which, at Clare, has been replaced with a 2 storey extension. The porch of Easton Lodge also fits what I was expecting beautifully.

 

I've contacted the GERS membership secretary as my attempts to join online are being prevented by the technology!

 

Thanks

David

[PaulG]

10 hours ago, Fen End Pit said:

 

10 hours ago, Fen End Pit said:

I've contacted the GERS membership secretary as my attempts to join online are being prevented by the technology!

 

Thanks

David

 

David 

 

If you have problems contacting the Society PM me and I'll see if I can help.

 

Paul 

[bécasse]

Here is a copy of an Edwardian postcard view of the level crossing and keeper's cottage at Cavendish. It seems as if ivy could save you some work!

 

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by bécasse
Photo reinserted

[Fen End Pit]

Thanks everybody for the information and plans.

 

The building is now pretty much complete, I just need some flashing around the chimneys and probably some curtains at the windows. I also need to make the electric bell to go on the wall.

 

I think it looks the part.

David

Edited March 31, 2022 by Fen End Pit

[bécasse]

It's odd how those photos of the model really seem to bring out how small these buildings were when it is less obvious from photos of the prototype.

 

Anyway, a very nice model - especially the skeletal porch which can be very difficult to get to look right.

[robock]

As I am in the process of refurbishing an existing scratch built model of Clare crossing keeper's cottage, this forum has been of great interest!

 

The PDF plan posted by becasse was printed in September 1972 'Model Railways' , drawn by Roger Farrant to illustrate his article 'Level Crossings on the Stour Valley Line' . The July 1972 issue had an article about mechanical control for two- gate crossings with an excellent set of plans for the gates at Clare.

[robock]

My own interpretation of the crossing keeper's cottage, with elements of Clare, Cavendish and Easton Lodge. This will normally be seen in the background of our Stratford St Mary crossing scene, so not in this unforgiving close-up detail.

[Fen End Pit]

That looks very nice, I like the telegraph wire support - got to add that to mine when the wires go up!

Thanks for sharing.

David