Earliest photograph of Cippenham
This is probably the earliest photograph of Cippenham, taken at the village centre. The image was supplied by Slough Museum and their record states that it was from 1907. The view is along Lower Cippenham Lane with the pond to the right. The only surviving building is the cottage on the right.
The King’s Head is out of shot to the right. The current Barleycorn building wasn’t built until 1920, but at this time but there would have been a beer-house of that name on the same spot. It would be around another 15 years before the Swan would be built.
There is what appears to be a public house sign in the distance. In fact, however, it is a sign for Chennalls the builders whose house and workshop was behind.
Further west and of sight is the Gardener’s cottages which was a public house (named The Jolly Gardener) prior to and during WW1.
And on the right is the pond. A marvellous tiny little lake about 20 meters in diameter. As kids we played there for hours winter and summer. In winter it would freeze completely and we’d run great slides in towards the middle from the sides. As the thaw came we’d risk falling through the ice and I did that many times.
Every 3rd Spring swans would come to mate on the pond and were a source of wonder to us kids. They would be quite aggressive when the cygnets were born and this was totally thrilling for us all.
Loved the pond!
the cottage to the Left of the big tree is still there 1905 it’s older than the house next door1908 I live in one my son lived in the other
No, Gardeners Cottage was to the east, a bit beyond Lewin’s farm, on the opposite side, plot no. 653 on your map, granny Godding moved there in 1887 from Dorney Court where she was in service when her sons got jobs on the railway. Dad was born there in 1910 (he was the oldest) when his parents were living with her mother. He stayed there when they got a place till he married in 1935. The Quakers did not want 4 pubs in the village so bought it and let it to granny Godding. I used to meet mother down there from school, they always had the range going, we couldn’t afford a fire in the afternoon! Dad could remember the range (and the pump) going in, before that it was a “chimley corner” There is a pic of it in “Around Burnham in Old Photos” it was aunt Gwen’s pic but she’s dead now. It was still like a pub, one big room with a step and a curtain halfway and it stunk of beer!
Are you sure the builder was called Chennall?
I lived in Bower Way in the 1960s and remember that our garden backed onto a large property which seemed like a farm. It was owned by a family called Challen and they built all the houses in Hogarth Close on that land around 1965. I recall that the builder had two sons who worked on the development and they each had a red Sunbeam Tiger which came to work in every day.
I know that the Chennall(s) family built several houses in Lower Cippenham Lane, and that various members of the family lived on in the lane up to the eighties. On Ancestry dot com a few years ago I came across a photo of Bob Chennall. He sitting astride an AJS motorcycle outside a house in Lower Cippenham Lane. It probably dated from the thirties which is when I believe he built the house in the picture. The house has been so heavily modified in this millennium that it probably wouldn’t still be recognisable as the one in the photo.
On the north of the village green was a quite long building where the row of houses in Roebuck green is now. It could have been stables, a house or both. I remember it as being ornate wood painted shiny green, but I’m not sure of my memory. It was probably demolished around 1968. The name of the last owner was Channing or possibly Challen. I hope someone can supply us with better details.
I remember that house it was the Challen family, Bob Challen lived there.