Unlawater Hotel c1955, Newnham
Unlawater Hotel c1955, Newnham Ref: N87045
Memories of Unlawater Hotel c1955, Newnham
Unlawater Hotel
This hotel was owned by my mother Patricia Woods till around 1959. Newnham was a busy place then. H G Zeal had a themometer factory in the High Street.
Above the hotel was a dairy farm run by A.Jones (Dean Forest farm).
As a matter of interest, the name Unlawater translates to River of Sorrows and was from a time back in history when Lady Padget lived there and a member of the family drowned in the river.
Best wishes,
Rai Woods. (Captain)
My First Home
My parents owned Unlawater House from 1963 until the 1970s. It was their first house when they were in their twenties and they ran it as a private children's home. I spent the first eight years of my life there and have great memories of lunches in the garden.
They re-roofed it within the first five years of purchase. The council bought some of the land along the road to widen the road as it kept flooding as a result of the Severn tidal wave; they did eventually rebuild the pretty red brick wall which runs along the perimeter.
There were some beautiful trees in the garden (many of which have since been taken down), and a superb monkey tree which we used to decorate with coloured lights at Christmas.
School Days
I never knew the Prankherds owned it as they were the head and headmaster at St Hilliards in Mickleton, dark secrets.
This Picture is Very Nostalgic For Me,
Walburga Ehrengarde Helena, Lady Paget, 1839 - 1929 Born in Germany was a diarist and the last of Queen Victoria's intimate friends.
Lady Paget died of burns after falling asleep by the fire at her home Unlawater House, Newnham on Severn, England, at the age of 90.
Nodding over her newspaper in the Small Library of Unlawater House, Lady Paget lapsed gently into sleep. The newspaper slipped from her fingers, lodged against the blazing coal grate. She woke with a start to find both the newspaper and her skirts aflame. Being frail and unable to rise alone, she rang for her butler.
Swift to respond as usual, the butler arrived in time to tear the skirts off Walburga Lady Paget before her upper clothing caught fire. When he finished stamping out the flames he found that she had swooned. She was removed to Wooton Hospital. There, a few hours later, she died.
But believe me she still lives on at this... Read more
Peter Prankerd's First Born
I am Peter Prankerd's first born child, Catherine Anne Bulteel (nee Prankerd). I now live in South Africa. My brother (my father's second born) resides in the UK. I have vague memories of this house but vivid memories of sailing the River Severn in a barge with my father, Peter, and his second wife, Patricia. Elizabeth, Simon and Timothy had all been born when we were living with my father. My brother and I were dropped off unceremoniously late one night with my mother, Susan Barbara Lawton. I have not seen nor heard from my father since I was 8 years old.
Childhood
My childhood memories of Newnham House, Peter Prankerd, the cook Gladys Bowen are from when I was taken from home into the care of the above. I would of been around 9 years old. I along with some 20 or so other young boys were taken there for saftey amongst other reasons. In the 2 years I spent in that nightmare, fearing Peter Prankerd who was both violent and abusive. I don't know if you are alive today Peter, but I hope you have suffered only half as much as I have with memories of Newnham House. Gladys, you knew what was going on. I can still taste your burnt offerings and I hope you are ashamed of what you knew and let happen without notifing authorities. PS I put 1969 as approx years as I am not certain of the year I was there. I know it was the year Peter finished doing up his Lagonda Car.
Newnham & local memories
Read and share memories of Newnham and Gloucestershire inspired by Frith photos.
