Streets through time - West End
No 4 (and 6) Horseshoe Cottage
Pair of estate cottages, now a house. c1840, with late C20 additions and alterations. Coursed squared stone with ashlar dressings and steep pitched slate roofs. Central lozenge-shaped brick valley stack with moulded stone coping. Plinth, coped facing gables, one with finial. Single storey plus attics; 2 window range. Double range plan. To right, a rear wing, raised C20, with two 2-light windows. Above the porch, a stone through-eaves dormer with a 2-light window, coped gables and kneelers. Rear has similar central dormer and porch. This building is probably one of those built in a picturesque style c1820-1840 by Gregory Gregory
In the Estate sale of 1937, the building comprises two semi detached properties. The tenancies are to Mr Henry Pacey, an estate gardener who lived in No 6 and Mr John Bullimore, a labourer who lived in No 4.
The censuses show that the Pacey family have been in residence in No 6 as far back as 1891 and Arthur Pacey, a cemetary worker aged 49 and his wife Lotti aged 51 were in residence in 1939. It is thought that the Clapton family may have lived here at some time after the Paceys.
​
The Bullimore family go back even further with John Bullimore and family in the 1871 census through to their descendant 72 year old John Bullimore still residing here in 1939.
The attractive lady in the picture is Phyllis Louise Mitchell (nee Bullimore) whose grannie lived in No 4 and the photo below is of her grannie's cottage. Phyllis was born in Harlaxton 13th April, 1904. Unfortunately ,we don't know at this time the dates of when these photos were taken or the name of Phyllis' grannie. On checking the censuses, Alpha Bullimore, who died in 1915 aged 82, is likely to be the grannie in question as her son Robert George Bullimore is Phyllis' father and they lived in Church St Harlaxton for a while. Alpha's other son John never married and he remained at the house along with his sister Ellen Jane who also lived there in 1921.
Phyllis was a multi talented lady being a renowned singer, pianist, artist and dancer as well as an eloquent author under the pen name of Louise Hollingsworth. She was very much into art and music and gave musical concerts in the Grantham area and acted in a number of plays with the Grantham Amateur Dramatic Society. Phyllis was given a slot on BBC radio's Womans Hour in the early 1960's of which she was very proud.
In 1971, the future of the cottages was very precarious with an application submitted by the 'Trustees of the Denton Settlement' for their demolition in 1971 and to be replaced with three modern bungalows.
Thankfully, that application must have been refused as new property owners in 1972 were given permission to convert the two cottages to a single dwelling and two years later a modernised and extended Horseshoe Cottage was put for sale for £23,500.
Above and below images taken in the late 1960's. The image below shows the high front wall of Horseshoe Cottage and the rear view of Greystones now known as No 2 Willow Cottage and its semi detached neighbor now No27 Rectory Lane The Cottage.
These pictures taken 2023. Above is original No 4 showing the C20 extension to the right. Below and left is what was No 6 before it became part of No 4.
