Connaught Lodge
Stone Street
Westenhanger, Kent
Most of these were taken in the summer of 1968 while it was owned by Anne (neé Richards) and Darkie Blackford, who were there from 1967 to 1980
Back of house
Front
Rose garden & part of apple orchard
Darkie Blackford at kitchen sink, front of the house
Honeysuckle covered garage & gate leading to Stone Street
Hedge & vegetable/soft fruit garden
Folkestone Racecourse in background
Back of house with rose arbour & apple trees
Entrance to rose garden & orchard
Front garden
Back of house & conservatory
Back of house showing living room & greenhouse at side
Photo supplied by Pat Duke, a more modern view of Connaught Lodge. a two story garage has been added to the right, all windows at the front have been replaced with lead came panels, and the front porch has been removed. It looks to have been very well cared for.
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If you have any older photographs of Connaught Lodge, I would love to see them. Also, I would like to know when the house was originally built.
The only owners I am aware of are William Henry Major, who left in 1919, and in 1922 it is on record as being owned by Henry John Cross. Then of course Anne and Darkie (Roy Frank) Blackford with dates of 1967 to 1980. Future generations find it fascinating to hear about people who used to live in their home, so let's see if we can fill in some blanks for this one.
The Richards family reunion in the garden of Connaught Lodge. Left to right:
Back: Jim Palmer, Dimp (Doris) Richards, Herbie Lawrence, Kay Palmer, Nellie Lawrence, ?Sylvia Richards, Fred Richards, Bert Richards,
Front: Agnes Richards, Edie Richards, Darkie Blackford, Anne Blackford
Darkie & Anne Blackford
Photo supplied by Karol Bullard
I was totally thrilled to hear from Libby of Sudbury, Ontario in Canada, who was doing a little research online after going through her Great-Grandmother's photographs and came across this page. She tells me that her Great-Grandmother, Henrietta Anne Constantine, had gone to England in 1915 from Winnipeg (where I now live in Canada!) for her only son's wedding. Her son belonged to the Canadian Expeditionary Forces, stationed in Kent - probably at Shorncliffe, and had made note on these photographs that Connaught Lodge was her lodgings while there. This means that William Henry Major and wife Alice had invited her there, probably because their two sons were also in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces.
As you can see, it had charm back then, but I think it looks in better shape today.
My goodness it's a small world isn't it?
Moving up now to 2014 and Connaught Lodge is/was up for sale! Here are some photos I gleaned from the site of the Realty company.
Note the lovely sunroon they have added on this end.
And the double garage with living accommodation over the top
The entrance hall has a new window and door. New flooring too I think.
The conservatory has been opened up and incorporated into what my parents used as a dining room.
This is what we called the Front Room, and it now has a door leading to the new sunroom.
That sofa looks like exactly the same one that was in that room when my parents owned it!
The kitchen & breakfast room have been knocked into one, new windows & everything else!
This area is what we called the Breakfast Room
The Study, it used to have varnished walls of ancient maps.
The new Sunroom, with patio doors leading outside to a new patio. Lovely isn't it?
This was my Mother's room, overlooks the back garden and what used to be the Folkestone Racecourse.
The bathroom looks twice the size of what it used to be. I don't know where they took the extra space from. It only had room for a bath, toilet & sink in my day.
Back garden, it seems the rose garden and apple orchard are gone, still very nice though.
The new patio outside the sunroom
Yes, they have opened up the grass area, must be a lot easier to mow.
This pond has been added, it is located around the place my Mother had her soft fruit garden.
And the double garage with a nice Granny flat over the top.
Yes, I definitely think my parents would approve of the changes if they were alive, and I am sure William and Alice Major would love it too.
If you love it too - at the time of writing (August 2014) it was up for sale! All you needed was a handy £665,000 - and was listed by http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-46346864.html However, I am afraid it was sold.
My call has been answered! One of the owners after this date got in touch, and has given me a list of all owners of this property going right back to 1913 when the lots were owned by the Folkestone Race Course. See the bottom of this page!
As I mentioned above, I received an e-mail from a gentleman by the name of Peter Bebbington, who saw my plea above to know who has owned Connaught Lodge over the years, and he was not only one of the owners, but also was given all the conveyances when he bought the property, going back to 1913 when the lots were owned by the Folkestone Race Course. Here is the list of previous owners:
History of “Connaught Lodge” Westenhanger
1913 Plot sold by The Folkestone Race Course Company Ltd (3 plots were sold at the time) to Mrs Alice Florence MAJOR
Connaught Lodge Built (date ??)
Note at the time of purchase the MAJORS were living at 25 Connaught Road, Folkestone Is this where the idea of calling the new house “Connaught Lodge” came from?
1919 Sold by Mrs Alice Florence MAJOR to Mr Ernest COX
1921 Sold by Mr Ernest COX to Mr Henry John CROSS
1929 Mr Henry John CROSS bought the adjoining plot to the North of Connaught Lodge . The two plots were integrated and remained so until 2014
1929 Sold by Mr Henry John CROSS to Mr Richard PRICE
1941 Mr Richard PRICE died at “Windyridge” Fairlight Road, Hythe
1950 Sold to Mr Louis Palmer (purchaser) and to Air Commodore Cyril Douglas ADAMS (sub- purchaser)
1955 Sold by Air Commodore Cyril Douglas ADAMS to Major Lionel Douglas Arthur DE HOCHEPIED .LARPENT
1967 Sold by Major Lionel Douglas Arthur DE HOCHEPIED .LARPENT to Mr Roy Frank & Mrs Anne Amelia BLACKFORD
1980 Sold by Mr Roy Frank & Mrs Anne Amelia BLACKFORD to Mr Michael John Bertrand & Mrs Wendy June HEATH
1985 Sold by Mr Michael John Bertrand & Mrs Wendy June HEATH to Mr Roger & Rachel DAVIS
1996 Sold by Mr Roger & Mrs Rachel DAVIS to Mr Peter J. & Mrs Marian E.A.BEBBINGTON
2014 The plot was split to the original and “Connaught Lodge “ was sold to new owners
2017 A new house was built on the plot to the north of “Connaught Lodge”
Thank you Peter, this is wonderful!