10, 10A, 10B & 10C High Street

1994.First No 10.

(Deacon)

Aerial photo showing The Orchard to left of school 1950s

(Deacon)

July 1999. Second No 10

(Deacon)

2015. Common drive to 10, 10C, 10B & 10A.

(Griffin)

1999. Nos 10, 10C, 10B - in that order! 10A is behind 10B.

(Deacon)

The first No 10, The Orchard, was further back from the road; it was demolished in 1998.

An early description is given in 1881:

1881 June 18 Cambridge Independent Press

The trustees of the will of Mr William Silk deceased will sell by auction, at The Red Lion Hotel, Cambridge, his property in 3 lots. Lot 1, a white, brick-fronted & slated house with 7 rooms, kitchen, pantry, garden, occupied by Mr Arthur Tuck at a rent of £28 pa, bounded by the school board premises, by that of William Long, the town drain and land of Mrs Duberson. Land tax 6s.

An October 1997 sale advert described it as “an imposing Victorian house set in well established grounds of approx. ½ acre. Generous accommodation includes 5 double bedrooms, lounge, separate dining room, 30ft x 15ft 9 inch fitted kitchen, utility room, gas radiator heating system, off street parking, detached double garage.” A Jan 1998 advertised it as unfurnished and it was demolished in 1998.

Yvonne Collins’ memories recall “a friend of her Dad, Guy Aldis, an archaeologist by the name of Professor Richard (Dick) Wyatt Hutchinson lived in The Orchard in the 1950s and 60s. He was a bachelor and lived alone (or perhaps with a housekeeper?) in the big old rambling house shown in the photo above. He had a beautiful back garden – natural woodland full of trees and wild flowers and totally secluded. He sold a sizeable chunk of this paradise garden to our Dad on the understanding that he didn’t build on it during his lifetime. In the fullness of time Dick died and in approxmately 1961 our new house named Wyatt House was designed by Dad and built.

This new house was numbered 10A and was built in 1963 at the very back of the plot occupied by the first No 10 and was extended in 1990.

(The 1930 electoral register gave the occupants of The Orchard as Arthur Michael, Evelyn Florence and Richard Wyatt Hutchinson. The latter didn’t die until 1970 and the house was sold in 1971.)

In the 1990s a hairdressing business was run from the house. Can anyone remember when this was started?

The current No 10 (“Crainn Arda”) is closer to the road and was built in 1999 together with Nos10C and 10B.

The “reverse” lettering occurs because, when the first No 10 existed, the plot at the back was sold for No 10A. Because of the timing, 10A is now behind No 10B.