Norman Hill House, Cam

Have a photo of old Dursley to share? Post here to see if anyone can add anything.
Post Reply
dursleyglos
Site Admin
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 10:19 pm
Location: Dursley, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by dursleyglos »

A few more snippets.

The farm bailiff on Norman Hill Farm was Fred Tipper who was married to Elizabeth. They had five sons, Verdun, William (Bill), Jack, Fred, and Edward (Ted). Verdun became a sniper instructor during the war years in the Gloucestershire Regiment. Bill was a wood carver who spent some time in Cardigan Bay testing rockets and was a bombardier in the artillery. Jack joined the RAF Regiment. Fred worked on the farm with his father and Ted worked for BOAC in Poole Harbour between 1945 and 1948 handling the movements (logistics) for their Sunderland flying boats. While at Norman Hill they all lived in 'The Laggers' cottage on the farm, named after the adjacent field.

Major Hague was born in Constantinople (now Istanbul). His wife, Emily Page, died in a tragic accident in 1932 when she was hit by a lorry at Sandpits after returning from a Mothers' Union meeting.

Elsie and Edgar Woodward lived in the cottage in the Holywell orchard with their five children.
Andy - Dursley Glos Web Admin

dursleyglos
Site Admin
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 10:19 pm
Location: Dursley, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by dursleyglos »

The 1911 census for Norman Hill House shows the following people present.

HIRAM HAGUE, Head of household, aged 35, Captain, born Turkey
EMILY PAGE HAGUE, wife, aged 45, born Cam
ARTHUR H. HAGUE, son, aged 2, born Cam
HUMPHREY J. HAGUE, son, aged 1, born Cam

They had a number of staff working for them

GRACE K. FRYER, cook, aged 26, born Frampton on Severn
JINNIE WALTERS, parlourmaid, aged 21, born Merthyr Tydfil
EMILY A. MEADOWS, housemaid, aged 28, born Bedminster
FLORENCE SMITH, between-maid, aged 15, born North Nibley
MARY F. GRIFFITHS, nurse, aged 27, born Ross
MARGARET KNIGHT, under-nurse, aged 14, born Birmingham

No doubt the two nursing staff were there to look after the young Hague brothers.
Andy - Dursley Glos Web Admin

ken
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:47 pm

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by ken »

There was a Hiram Hague Winterbotham (born 1 May 1908, died 13 dec 1990) who was a manager and a director of the Textile Dept of Dartington Hall Ltd
and also a director of Dartington Press 1938-1939. More on their website. Is this the two year old son on the 1911 census?

Rich Hughes
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:47 pm

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by Rich Hughes »

This is Great stuff!

dursleyglos
Site Admin
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 10:19 pm
Location: Dursley, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by dursleyglos »

Hi Ken, the chances are it is the same Hiram Hague but I haven't checked it out yet. That son's full name was Arthur Hiram Winterbotham Hague but he changed it later to Arthur Hiram Winterbotham Hague Winterbotham which it would have been during 1938-1939. As Dartington make textiles that would have a cloth making link as well. Andy
Andy - Dursley Glos Web Admin

Rich Hughes
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:47 pm

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by Rich Hughes »

Have been in contact with a Guestbook User called Bill, who used to play in the tower and he says it was round. Could this be the other round building in the pic he's referring to as this is the second person I have spoke to that describes the tower as round? He also says he recalls everything around the tower being smashed up and in a bad state but no gardens. I have asked him to send his info to the forum.

dursleyglos
Site Admin
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 10:19 pm
Location: Dursley, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by dursleyglos »

Hi Rich
The tower is most definitely square as can be seen in this new picture I've just obtained - and also in the aerial shot earlier. This photo was taken near the end of its life when it was in poor condition, after the farm had closed and just before the new houses were built. You can clearly see the wall which remains now coming down the slope of the hill. The castellations on the tower seem to have been filled in but it's just possible to make out their shape.

By the way, there were pig stys underneath the lower level of the tower, accessible from inside the garden. The round construction you refer to must be something else. Andy
Attachments
Norman Hill House tower, c1960, courtesy L. Jones
Norman Hill House tower, c1960, courtesy L. Jones
norman_hill_tower.jpg (82.51 KiB) Viewed 23825 times
Andy - Dursley Glos Web Admin

Rich Hughes
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:47 pm

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by Rich Hughes »

Wow!! I can see why it was pulled down, clearly that was in a poor state for some time! Nice to see it, bigger than I imagined.
I have been talking to 2 people who said it was falling down, I have asked them to put their memories on the forum.
Well Done Andy.

ken
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:47 pm

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by ken »

It's sad to see the tower in such a mess. My memory tells me that what this photograph shows is the building up to roof level and that the castellations surrounded the flat open roof area. I was able to talk to several of my cousins yesterday, one lived on the estate with my Grandfather and the other was able to add her recollections. I am trying to collate this in a leaflet which I will share later.

Rich Hughes
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:47 pm

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by Rich Hughes »

You get the impression that it wasn't constructed properly, on the map in 1903 it looks that it was not present so it was not of any age. There is a round building next to it, was that what other people were talking about? They describe the stairs and an entrance big enough to get a horse and cart through. Its good to see that photo's exist of the tower, be nice to see one of it complete. Also be great to see the interior of the estate and of course the house!

dursleyglos
Site Admin
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 10:19 pm
Location: Dursley, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by dursleyglos »

Hi Rich. There is something present on the 1903 map which could be the tower (see red dot on picture on page 4). I'm not convinced the bit behind the tower on this picture is round though. On the map it shows a rectangular shape so perhaps there were two parts to it? It's nice to see a picture at last!
Andy - Dursley Glos Web Admin

ken
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:47 pm

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by ken »

The entrance "big enough to get a horse and cart through" was probably the arched entrance to the garden which I referred to earlier. This was off to the left of the photograph. I can't remember a round building at all, even the photo that shows one doesn't stir any memories.

Rich Hughes
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:47 pm

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by Rich Hughes »

The picture was take in 1925, so the round tower could have been long gone before you played there. Has to be said though, I have spoken to 2 people that swear the tower was round! (look at page 3) could they mean the one on the left? The original Ordnance Survey map (page 2) shows no walls though there is a box near where the tower was. Although, how accurate is it.

dursleyglos
Site Admin
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 10:19 pm
Location: Dursley, Gloucestershire
Contact:

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by dursleyglos »

It's fairly evident from the latest photo that the tower at the corner of the walled garden wasn't round so the memories of a 'round' tower must be of something else. My thinking is that the round structure shown on the earlier photo (page 3) is probably a small silo, dovecote, aviary or similar, probably something that wasn't long lasting. O.S. maps are usually fairly accurate although there are delays between survey and printing but not usually more than a few years. I'm fairly sure it does show the location of the tower, possibly in a different form? Also walls wouldn't necessarily be evident on the map, although I would expect the very wide wall to the tower to be shown on a map of that scale.

I tend to agree with Ken that the arch is probably the one through the wall, just out of picture. The people I've spoken to haven't indicated a door into the tower that would be that big and I don't think a horse with its cart would fit inside the tower itself.

Every answer brings more questions!
Andy - Dursley Glos Web Admin

Rich Hughes
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:47 pm

Re: Norman Hill House, Cam

Post by Rich Hughes »

History tends to create more questions than answers (most of Time Team's assumptions are questionable) I am just happy with the info we have and the picture evidence and the fact we've seen the remains proves the tower was square. One of the people I talked to today said (having saw your latest pic) "That's the tower we played on", and agreed (IT WAS NOT ROUND), which 2 weeks ago she swore blind it was round.
Last edited by Rich Hughes on Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Post Reply