Houses & Buildings
THE POST OFFICE, CHEDDAR AND WILLIAM HILL 1860 - 1880s
The house/building we know as the Cheddar Post Office in 2012, was already established as a Post Office by 1860. It was already well associated with the Hill family who had bought the current property (clearly identified on the Cheddar Tithe map/apportionment as 375 Play Street), from the Cheddar Hannam estate in 1850. Even before this, a Robert Hill was recorded in the Hunt's Directory as handling the post in Cheddar with "collections for London and all parts at 5pm"....To read the full text of this article by Sue Shaw, please click HERE.
LITTLE COTTAGES IN CHEDDAR GORGE 1860 - 1880
In the middle of the 19th century there was a well established community living and working in the lower part of Cheddar Gorge. Tourism would only have started to figure in the local economy to any significant degree with the discovery and development of Cox's show cave in 1837/38, and Gough's cave some forty or so years later. The arrival of the railway in 1869 must have greatly accelerated the development of the tourist industry we see today. Against this background a number of very humble and poorly constructed cottages had been errected along the Western roadside of the Gorge, adjacent to , and just above the present Gough's cave complex....to read the full text of this article by David Mather, please click HERE.
The house/building we know as the Cheddar Post Office in 2012, was already established as a Post Office by 1860. It was already well associated with the Hill family who had bought the current property (clearly identified on the Cheddar Tithe map/apportionment as 375 Play Street), from the Cheddar Hannam estate in 1850. Even before this, a Robert Hill was recorded in the Hunt's Directory as handling the post in Cheddar with "collections for London and all parts at 5pm"....To read the full text of this article by Sue Shaw, please click HERE.
In the middle of the 19th century there was a well established community living and working in the lower part of Cheddar Gorge. Tourism would only have started to figure in the local economy to any significant degree with the discovery and development of Cox's show cave in 1837/38, and Gough's cave some forty or so years later. The arrival of the railway in 1869 must have greatly accelerated the development of the tourist industry we see today. Against this background a number of very humble and poorly constructed cottages had been errected along the Western roadside of the Gorge, adjacent to , and just above the present Gough's cave complex....to read the full text of this article by David Mather, please click HERE.
A great summary of some Cheddar Heritage which may never have seen the light. Thanks David.
ReplyDeleteGreat information on the cottages of Cheddar gorge where some of my ancestors lived! The Williams family. You will find them in the Victorian Census returns.Gt Gt Grandad Robert Williams born 1834 left the village as part of the great move to cities for work.
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