The Grange Where American Families Stayed

A Memory of Snettisham.

In 1957, when I was about 9 years old my father was stationed at Sculthorpe Air Force Base. We lived at The Grange estate before we moved to the base. It was a wonderful old estate enclosed by a brick wall. The former stables were renovated to serve to families. There was an orchard in the back as well as a pathway to St. Mary's church where we loved to go and pick up confetti after weddings and explore the tombstones.

We lived on the first level at the front part of the house. It was owned by a Major Briggs who cared for his elderly mother. Major Briggs had been a hunter and the large entry way had many of his conquests on the walls with an alligator/crocodile above one of the doors on the 2nd level. It was pretty scary to me and my brothers. I remember the house was built in 1889 and a child of 9 could stand in the large fire places and hide behind the heavy curtains. We explored the cellar which we called the dungeon. We also went to a local school for a short time. I would love to see photographs of it. It was a fun place to explore. I hope it was not torn down. The only information I have found is that it could be a dental offices.