The last remaining plotlands dwelling in Manor Road, New Thundersley
Holding on to history
Our property was built circa 1925 on Plots 264 and 265, two of an original holding of four (the others being 266, 267). We are the sixth family to live here – the others being Gregory, Connor, Woodford, Knowlton, Fry. These were four of the plots sold off when the Manor House (Thundersley Hall) Estate was sold off in 1897 by Robert Varty, acting on behalf of the Bosanquet family.
We bought the dwelling in 1974 as a derelict, and extended it by two rooms in 1985 – the original was four rooms only with no hot water system, a dilapidated lean-to, and an outside toilet. The old part still has earth foundations only.
It has been a labour of love, and we certainly will never move from here. These old plotland dwellings are going down like ninepins in the modern obsession with bigger and better.
{Ed: for more information about plotlands, try this article on our Laindon sister site.}
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I was born in number 12, Manor Road in 1946 and remember many of those plotland builds and lots of scrub land where we made camps out of old sheets of corrugated iron.
Great days, Great memories.
I am trying to locate a copy of the estate plan for the Thundersly Hills Estate. Do you have one with your original deeds?
I walk past a couple of times a week and still love the fact that this “cottage” hasn’t been developed into a four bed linked like the one that is in Chesterfield Avenue. I’m glad you’re staying put.
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