Our home, Holly Lodge was built twenty years after Australia was discovered!
The right hand gable boasts a dated stone plaque, GSL 1796 built into the brickwork, we are researching who GSL was? Spookily Andrew once worked for a company called Global Solutions Ltd!
Not long after we moved in, we had a knock at the front door; to our delight we were being visited by a lady who grew up at Holly Lodge some forty years ago and now lives in Australia. She told us the house was built as the dowager house to the large house next door Holly House.
We understand Holly Lodge was originally divided into two, however not side by side as would be the norm but back to back with the owners occupying the front rooms and their servants living and working at the rear, tending the large walled kitchen garden.
Thirty years ago, the left hand gable end was rebuilt; the matching stone plaque was not replaced. Though, sadly for the next twenty years, Holly Lodge lay derelict and became an eye sore on London Street. Restoration began in 2015; remarkably the matching stone plaque was discovered under a pile of rubble and discarded bricks and has been incorporated into the newly built front garden wall.
After a lifetime of service in the hospitality business both Lyn and Andrew wanted to breathe fresh life back into this wonderful old house and make it our home. Please come and see our efforts!