Other Properties
Overstrand has many other properties worthy of mention in these pages. Sadly, not all are with us still.
The Danish Pavilion
Sir George Henry Lewis 1st Baronet (1883-1911) was a famous London solicitor of whom it was said "Knew secrets of every family in British Peerage" (The New York Times 8th December 1911). He too was a leading patron of the arts whose friends included French painters, sculptors, musicians, actors, writers, lawyers and politicians.
On a visit to the Paris International Exhibition of 1900 with his wife the Lady Lewis, he saw the pavilion in situ and decided to purchase it. He then had it transported piece by piece to Overstrand where it was altered, added to and greatly enlarged to provide space for staff and their many guests who, of course, would have included the Batterseas and the Speyers.
The house was mainly constructed of wood and plaster. The Norwich architect Boardman was chosen to erect the building and make the additions. The building would have aroused interest among his friends, because of its fantastic views over the North Sea as well as to its novelty. The Pavilion is no longer standing, after the death of Lady Lewis it was turned into a motel which burnt down in 1953 and the land was sold for housing.
Several fine bungalows have been built on the site now known as Danish House Gardens.
Overstrand Properties Gallery
East Lodge
East Lodge is one of the oldest houses in Overstrand.
The White Horse Hotel
The White Horse or at least part of it, along with East Lodge, Cliff Cottage and the Rectory, must be among the oldest buildings in the village, as they are clearly shown on the maps of the 1700's.
The aerial photograph in the gallery shows the well tended vegetable gardens and orchard that supplied the restaurant. The hotel boasted the best lock-up garages in Overstrand. The White Horse has recently had a complete interior renovation with handsome en-suite bedrooms and a fine new restaurant together with new kitchens. The Brewery in the 1950's was the former Norwich Brewery, and prior to that it was Steward and Patteson.
Overstrand Development Plan stage 2
After what must have been a very successful outcome of the first stage in his development plan, resulting in the sale of so much land to Cyril Flower MP and all the gentry and wealthy people who had come to Overstrand, Lord Suffield produced his second development plan for Overstrand in 1902 (although technically the land was in Northrepps at the time). His intention that only large, quality properties should be built was only partly fulfilled ie: Grange Gorman, Beckhythe Manor, Carrwood House, Beck Hythe (Overstrand Court Hotel) and the houses opposite the cricket ground. Of the new proposed roads, only the By-Pass (Mundesley Road) and Carr Lane were ever constructed.
Carrwood House
Carrwood House was the seaside residence of the Right Hon. Viscount Wolverhampton, born 1870. His main home was Pine Lodge, Pyrford in Surrey. Viscount Wolverhampton succeeded to the title in 1911 upon the death of his father Sir Henry Hartley Fowler, PC, Liberal MP for Wolverhampton 1880 to 1908, Secretary of State for India. Viscount Wolverhampton was the composer of several songs and was very keen on coursing, shooting and fishing. In 1910 he married the Hon. Evelyn Henrietta Wrottesley, only daughter of the 3rd Baron Wrottesley. His sister, the Hon, Edith Henrietta, wife of the Rev. William Robert Hamilton, B.A. Rector of Sutton Bonington, Nottingham, lived at Carrwood House most of the year and here she wrote many novels, notably one entitled "For Richer or Poorer", the scene of which is laid out at Northrepps Rectory and The Pleasaunce in Overstrand. His other sister was also a well known novelist, the Hon. Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler.
Carrwood House is now converted into a number of flats.
Grangegorman
Grangegorman was the seaside holiday home of the Rev. Hon. Edward Lyttelton B.D. headmaster of Eton. A newspaper article dated 1911 describes it as follows:
Grangegorman began as a cottage and a cottage it still remains; although there is comfortable accommodation for a party of eighteen or nineteen. Most of the special features are due to the clever planning of the architect, but the owners have made various small additions and arrangements, which all make for comfort. The original house was built to resemble as nearly as possible "Noah's Ark". It has one large roomy balcony, used as a bedroom in the summer, with sliding windows all round arranged so as to admit as much or as little air as may be desired. The view (in the photograph) shows the south aspect of the house. This balcony is completely screened from the north, east and west. Another large balcony runs the whole length of this side of the house, from the north facing east. Half of this is quite open and the other half is roofed and has two large plate glass windows along part of it, which although quite invisible, yet shut out the north and east winds from that end of the balcony. A gable has recently been added, which consists of an entrance hall, morning room and some smaller rooms above.
The house has recently undergone extensive renovation and conversion into apartments.
Engadine Hotel
Engadine Hotel was the first hotel in Overstrand, owned by the postmaster George Beckett and was located in the then Cromer Road which is today's High Street.
The building underwent a number of conversions and uses and at various stages housed, an Estate Agency, Barclays Bank and the Singing Kettle Café.
The Village Stores
In December 1901 a Mr A J Ramm, a butcher from Wells, purchased the building plot for £275. In 1911 the land was sold again to Mrs Beckett, whose intention was to build a dwelling. Whether the dwelling was actually built and later changed into a shop is unknown but Mrs E Beckett and subsequently her trustees, let the property to various descendants and tenants. The shop was certainly trading by 1917 and the residence over and behind the shop was locally known, for some unknown reason, as "St Martin's".
Sometime in the 1930's a Stanley and Violet Callaby took over the business and traded in partnership with a Sidney Gaze as "Gaze & Callaby". In 1946 Oliver Keymer a grocer from East Dereham came to Overstrand to help Stanley Callaby, the business was sold by Mrs Keymer and Mrs Callaby in 1952. Stanley & Violet Callaby and Oliver & Grace Keymer are all buried in Overstrand cemetery.
92 years on and "Central Stores" as it is now known is still going strong. Combining a Post Office, grocers, off-licence, newsagents, tobacconists, stationers and hardware shop - a real village stores.
The Store's history and photographs courtesy of Ian Keymer June 2000.
The Grange
The Grange in Paul's Lane was built for Sir John Hare (1844-1921) actor manager of the Garrick Theatre. It was subsequently purchased by Sir William Player the tobacco magnate and then by Sir Jesse Boots founder of the pharmaceutical company.
In 1911 Mr F H Royce, engineer-in-chief, and master mind of the Rolls Royce Company, was taken seriously ill and stayed at The Grange under the care of Dr. Dent. (from Dr Dent's diary 1889-1922) Locally it is claimed that Mr Royce built the first Rolls Royce Silver Ghost in the roadside outside the foundry in Northrepps.
The Grange was later sold to the late Canon Carr, Rector of St Martin's church and after his death the house was purchased by Norfolk County Council in 1948, to be used as a residential childrens home for children from the age of 5 years.
The property was extended in 1949 and for a short period was used in the months of August to give children a holiday at the seaside. In January 1951 the first recorded admissions to the Grange were three siblings aged 5, 6, & 7 years, whose mother had died, and a lad of 14.
After the terrible East Coast flooding of 1953, The Grange became the home of a little girl who had been at a friends home overnight, and upon returning to her home found that her Mother and her three sisters had perished.
Over the years The Grange became a real home to dozens and dozens of homeless children, who became part of the life of Overstrand, attending The Belfry school and St Martin's Church. Overstrand villagers had taken these children in their hour of need, into their hearts. But attitudes change and as a result of the action of a few villagers, The Grange ceased to be a Children's Residential Home in 1998. 50 years of giving comfort and love to unfortunate innocents had come to an end.
Today, The Grange is a private home.
The above has been taken from Ann Abbott's History of the Grange 1998.
Danum House
What we know today as Danum House was originally shown on old pre-ordnance maps as Overstrand Cottage in Beck Hythe Lane. By 1888 it was known locally as Dr. Beverley’s Cottage in what had been renamed Paul’s Lane. The cottage was purchased by a Lady Poison who sold it to the Countess Victoria of Yarborough and her husband “Cat” Richardson. He was considered the best gentleman rider of all times. He won every big steeplechase in England and Scotland twice, including the Grand National in 1873 and 1874, he was elected Captain of Cromer Golf Club in 1910 and the Jockey Club erected a national memorial to his memory. The cottage was considerably extended and eventually sold to Mrs Florence Barclay. A talented authoress.
Overstrand Court Hotel
Originally named Beckhythe. At one time it operated as a Gentlemen’s Finishing School and was taken over by the Military 1939-45. After the war it was bought by Mr Van Moppes and turned into a hotel in 1949.
Meadow Cottage
Meadow Cottage was the seaside home of Sir Frederick Macmillan, Chairman of the International Publishing House Macmillan & Co. He was the oldest son of the founder Daniel Macmillan.
Sir Frederick was President of the National Hospital for the Paralyzed & Epileptic in Bloomsbury, London and President of the Publishers Association of Great Britain.
Today, Meadow Cottage is a hospice for the terminally ill. One feels that Sir Frederick would have been pleased to see the splendid use his former seaside home has been put to. Sadly Elizabeth FitzRoy Support, the charity that runs Meadow Cottage, have now closed the hospice and the property has currently been placed on the market for sale.
The Methodist Church
The Overstrand Methodist Church built in 1898, is one of only three buildings in Overstrand to have been designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
The Methodists had been trying to build a new chapel in Overstrand for many years. It seems however as if Lord Suffield and the Gurneys were adverse to selling any land for a chapel to be built. However Lord Battersea purchased a piece of land in what was to be a new road - Cliff Road. He gave the land as a site for the new chapel as "a free and voluntary gift"
Taken from the booklet ‘Overstrand Methodist Church Centenary 1898-1998
In George Becket's booklet ‘The Vale of Health in 1899' He writes " We must not omit to mention the new Wesleyan Church erected and opened in 1898. The building is lighted with electric light, supplied by Lord Battersea, who also gave the site and contributed largely towards the erection."
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