Meadow Cottages
Pair of mid 19th Century cottages. Red and blue brick. Two storeys, 2 bays with a raised brick band between storeys. Casement windows with depressed pointed arches. Modern hipped tile roof, axial stack. Lean-to weather-boarded extensions on each side. Grade 2 listed building.
​
​
In the 1990s and indeed before that the left hand cottage, No 2 was occupied by two, elderly sisters, Joyce and Violet Franklin . In the 1990s the sisters with their agreement were moved to temporary accommodation while the cottage underwent a long overdue renovation by the owners, the London Borough of Havering. They moved back happily after many weeks, probably their longest stay away since they first moved in. In about 1991 their home was included in an annual heritage trip put on for Havering Councillors because it was listed and had recently been renovated.
Along with a whole coachload of people I traipsed around the property with the sisters looking on somewhat bemused. I did speak to them but they didn't have much to say, that I can remember. The one thing that sticks in my mind from the visit was a tiny bedroom at the very top of the house, in the loft really. It was at the top of a winding staircase and once in the room one couldn't stand up straight. It was even difficult to turn around and anyone that ventured up there had to ascend and descend the staircase completely before the next guest could climb the stairs and enter the room. No 1 Meadow Cottages was sold by the London Borough of Havering Council on the open market after the last council tennant (Florence Avery) died in 1997. Del Smith
Don Tait contributed the following in 2009.
"As far as I know Joyce and her sister Violet are still alive and still living there, as they were still living there in the August of 2008 when I took photographs of the cottage. Joyce told me that before the renovations took place they had no mains water or inside toilet. The outside loo is still there (I managed to photograph the outside of it)"
​
And a further update from Don in 2019
Both sisters are now gone from Meadow Cottage. Violet (the smaller one of the two) died a couple of years ago while Joyce has moved into a care home. The cottage is standing empty at the moment and will no doubt be sold by the council as there is a lot of work to be carried out internally to bring it up to a modern liveable standard.
​
George Avery was married in St Thomas' Church and along with his wife lived in Rose Cottage for a while before moving across the road to No 1 Meadow Cottages. See a wedding picture of George with his wife Florence here. George died in 1981 and Florence moved away from Meadow Cottage in 1997 to Hillside old peoples' home in North Hill Drive, Harold Hill.. She died in 2000 and is buried alongside George in St Thomas Chapel of Ease graveyard just a few steps away from where they were married 75 years earlier.
Photo above probably 1960/70s.
The sisters lived in the left hand cottage. Photo Don Tait 2005
Photo (rear) Don Tait, more recent.