The Hollies
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It is very apparent from the above photograph that the dwelling known as "The Hollies" once consisted of a number of separate cottages and houses. We can discern four, perhaps five, units making up the present buildings.
The buildings make their first appearance on the O.S. Map of 1853 when only the first two or three units are shown i.e. from what is now called "The Granary" fronting Church Lane along to the second chimney stack from the left.
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By 1891 the survey shows the whole line of buildings including that on the extreme right and set back behind the others. A close examination of the frontages suggests an original mix of houses/cottages of varying sizes. The most substantial portion of the block (the building at the right and behind the others) at one time was held in different ownership to the remainder (it was already owned by Hannah Burton when she acquired in 1909 the remainder of the block extending to and including The Granary fronting Church Lane). Later, in 1924, her executors sold the whole block and 27 acres of adjacent agricultural land to Dearlove Addyman). Until the conjunction of the buildings in the hands of Hannah Burton the large house seems to have had no land on its south side which raises the possibility that it once faced north towards the river. However, the north façade reveals nothing that might have been a "front" door and it has to be assumed that the principal entrance has always been on the south and that some sort of easement allowed access to it on foot from Church Lane (or that the property was accessed from the north or east)
We have one old (very dark) photograph showing The Hollies in earlier times.
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The property has undergone extensive alteration and renovation in recent months. One alteration has been to create a larger entrance from Church Lane and this has the advantage of giving the passer-by a view of the house which was not until now much exposed to the public. The view is especially attractive when, as in the following photograph, the Wisteria plant climbing the house frontage is in full bloom.
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