Your House and Mine

West's Cottages

Introduction
Map of Frieth
Moor End
   Bramblings
   Astrea
   Merrydown Cottage
   Corner Cottage
   Moor's End Cottages
   Moor Gate House
   Underwood
   The Copse
Fingest Road
   The Forge
   Folly Cottages
   The Willows
Perrin Springs Lane
   Perrin Springs
   West's Cottages
Ellery Rise
   Hilliers
   Lynden Cottage
Frieth Hill
   Hillside Cottage
   Rowleys
   Pear Tree Cottage
   Hillside View
   The Platt
   Little Barlows
   Cutlers Cottage
   Yew Tree Cottage
   Little Cottage
   Barlows
   Birch Cottage
   Tedders / Rose Cottage
   The Old Stores
   The Yew Tree Inn
   Fairfield House
   Flint Cottage 1
   Flint Cottage 2
   Inglenook
   Middle Cottage
   Sunny Corner
   The Gables
   The Orchards
   Hilltop
   Cattons
   Mallards
   Hillswood
   The Old Parsonage
   White Gates
   The Laurels
   The Cottage
   The Firm
   Marlstone
   Westwood
   Bradstone
   Haylescroft
   The Niche
   Rivendell
   Summerhill
   Ashcroft
   Selborne
   The Ranch House
   Sara's Cottage
   The Cherries
   The Old School House
Innings Road
   Collier's Farm
   Innings Gate
   Down the Lane
   Sunset Cottage
   Fermain
   Chilterns
   Rowan Cottage
   Creighton Cottage
   Apple Tree
   Old Well Cottage
   The Cottage
   Flat Roof
   Whitsun
   Backlins
   Red Kites
   Maidenscraft
Spurgrove Lane
   Maidencraft Cottage
   September Cottage
   Spurgrove Cottage
   Gable End
   Willems
   Elder Barn
   Sunnydale

Wests Cottages, Frieth, 1992 - From Joan Barksfield's collection

West's Cottages are situated opposite Perrin Springs. The Tithe Map shows them as two cottages and an outbuilding, the latter was demolished and a third cottage added. [ You can find the Tithe Map under "Hambleden" on the menu bar above ]

Since WW2 these three have been converted into two cottages. Whilst there were three cottages this block of property was owned by the firm of West and Collier to house their employees - hence the name West's Cottages. Latterly the "apostrophe s" has been dropped giving the mistaken impression that they are on the west side of the village!

During this period the cottages were of the "two up, two down" type. Living conditions must have been cramped for families with children.

Peggy West told me this little tale of one small boy who lived with his family of brothers and sisters in one of these cottages. The child was a member of Frieth Church choir and, as such, was included in the annual choir outing. That year, accompanied by the Curate Reverend Wilkinson, the venue was Windsor Castle.  Having toured the grounds the party entered the State Apartments, magnificent in furnishings and ceilings decorated in gold leaf. However when the curate addressed our small choirboy and asked "And what do you think of this my boy?" the reply was "It ain't very 'omely like sir."

In the Victorian era one cottage was occupied by an elderly lady who was such a good pillow-lace maker that she was invited to make flounces for a petticoat for Queen Victoria.

Back  Forward

[ See also the previous page about Perrin Springs which includes some references to West's Cottages ]