The Retreat, Bradford Road, Box Carriage text and photos Robert Coles December 2020
I took the picture above in the early 1960s, the house being The Retreat on Bradford Road near the Rudloe Five Ways junction. Previously it had been lived in by Mr Sparrow, a Bath solicitor who had a railway carriage in the garden and virtually built the house around it.
Nice to have a carriage as part of your home; it must have been such a comfortable place to live in. It would generate marvellous memories with leather straps to pull up the windows and the unique sound that the doors make as you close them. I believe that Paul Atterbury of the Antiques Roadshow had a railway carriage as part of his house, and possibly Jools Holland also.
Nice to have a carriage as part of your home; it must have been such a comfortable place to live in. It would generate marvellous memories with leather straps to pull up the windows and the unique sound that the doors make as you close them. I believe that Paul Atterbury of the Antiques Roadshow had a railway carriage as part of his house, and possibly Jools Holland also.
I was told by later owners that the carriage was the home of Mr Sparrow in 1937 whilst he was practicing at 1&2 Chapel Row, Queen Square, Bath.[1] As he became more affluent, he liked the carriage so much that he had a house built around it. Our link to The Retreat was through the Hooper family who lived there and were carpenters at Dyer’s Yard, Quarry Hill. Their daughter was one of our crowd in the late 1950s and early 60s.
We are able to add to the history of the owners of the carriage, the Sparrow family.
We are able to add to the history of the owners of the carriage, the Sparrow family.
William Austin Sparrow
The owner of the carriage was William Austin Sparrow (1 August 1881-1956), the son of William Edwin Sparrow, a music seller, pianoforte tuner and dealer who lived at 6 Chapel Row, Bath. William Austin trained as a lawyer, starting his legal career before 1912.[2] In World War I he served in the Gloucestershire Regiment, working in the Army Pay Corps, and in 1918 he married Florence Amy Prescott (1884-13 September 1954). She was a formidable woman, a sick-nurse before the First World War who had served as a sister in the French Red Cross from 1914-20. For a few years they lived in Portland Place, Bath.
In 1926 he took a curious legal case involving a motor-cycle accident in the Newbridge Road, Bath.[3] William was defending the rider of the motor-cycle, an employee of the Lime Works Corston, who admitted to hitting two pedestrians walking along the road with his sidecar. He blamed the accident to being dazzled by lights from the opposite direction. The couple weren’t badly injured but lost wages by having to take a week off work and incurring damage to their clothing, including socks, hat and shoes. The case largely fell on the couple’s right to walk in the road rather than on the footpath. William lost, although the judgement might have been different with today’s pavements and inability of people to walk in the middle of roads.
The owner of the carriage was William Austin Sparrow (1 August 1881-1956), the son of William Edwin Sparrow, a music seller, pianoforte tuner and dealer who lived at 6 Chapel Row, Bath. William Austin trained as a lawyer, starting his legal career before 1912.[2] In World War I he served in the Gloucestershire Regiment, working in the Army Pay Corps, and in 1918 he married Florence Amy Prescott (1884-13 September 1954). She was a formidable woman, a sick-nurse before the First World War who had served as a sister in the French Red Cross from 1914-20. For a few years they lived in Portland Place, Bath.
In 1926 he took a curious legal case involving a motor-cycle accident in the Newbridge Road, Bath.[3] William was defending the rider of the motor-cycle, an employee of the Lime Works Corston, who admitted to hitting two pedestrians walking along the road with his sidecar. He blamed the accident to being dazzled by lights from the opposite direction. The couple weren’t badly injured but lost wages by having to take a week off work and incurring damage to their clothing, including socks, hat and shoes. The case largely fell on the couple’s right to walk in the road rather than on the footpath. William lost, although the judgement might have been different with today’s pavements and inability of people to walk in the middle of roads.
Diamond Jubilee of the NSPCC – William Austin left and Christopher middle (Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 29 October 1949)
William was a versatile person with various interests. He was a fine singer and, on occasion, would entertain the Bath District of the Ancient Order of Foresters with his renditions of popular songs.[4] He was particularly connected with fund-raising for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and served on the local committee after the Second World War. Although they lived in Box for many years, the family continued to attend St Paul’s Church, Bath where they served on the parochial church council and as sidesmen.[5]
William appears to have had a long interest in the railways, owning shares in GWR in 1920s. He and his wife Florence lived at The Retreat from at least 1935 when they installed a phone line, BOX 108 but they also used their home in Bath and in 1939 William was registered at 1-2 Chapel Row with his children Christina J (b 28 June 1919), a hospital nurse, and Christopher John (17 June 1921-31 December 2009) an articled clerk.[6] But they returned to The Retreat during the war and in 1940 Florence was breeding and selling Cocker Spaniel dogs from there.[7]
William appears to have had a long interest in the railways, owning shares in GWR in 1920s. He and his wife Florence lived at The Retreat from at least 1935 when they installed a phone line, BOX 108 but they also used their home in Bath and in 1939 William was registered at 1-2 Chapel Row with his children Christina J (b 28 June 1919), a hospital nurse, and Christopher John (17 June 1921-31 December 2009) an articled clerk.[6] But they returned to The Retreat during the war and in 1940 Florence was breeding and selling Cocker Spaniel dogs from there.[7]
The Scout and Cubs Gang Show November 1939 (courtesy Margaret Wakefield)
Chris Sparrow
William’s son Christopher Sparrow was brought up in Box and joined the village Scouts, seen here third left in the back row in the Gang Show of November 1939. Christopher was called up in World War II and named in the role of honour in 1941.[8]
Like his father, he trained as a solicitor in Bath where he practiced after the Second World War.[9] Christopher and William both had a broad variety of interests, and they both represented the Bath NSPCC in 1950, Christopher as general secretary and William as cases secretary.[10]
William’s son Christopher Sparrow was brought up in Box and joined the village Scouts, seen here third left in the back row in the Gang Show of November 1939. Christopher was called up in World War II and named in the role of honour in 1941.[8]
Like his father, he trained as a solicitor in Bath where he practiced after the Second World War.[9] Christopher and William both had a broad variety of interests, and they both represented the Bath NSPCC in 1950, Christopher as general secretary and William as cases secretary.[10]
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Christopher’s compassion was well-recorded in a case when two 14-year-old Bath boys were accused of Amazing Exploits and going on a theft and burglary spree in Bath and Weston-super-Mare in 1949.[11] Their thefts were totally minor after they ran away from home and were trying to survive.
Christopher argued that they should have been facilitated in their desire to work on a farm because of their affection for farm animals but were prevented from doing so during and after the war. They escaped imprisonment, were put on probation and sent to an approved school. Railway Carriage at The Retreat I have been told that the carriage is probably from a South Wales Railway, maybe Cardiff Railway or Taff Vale. It doesn’t appear to be built in Swindon by the Great Western Railway because it has square corners to the bottom of the openings.[12] How it reached the top of Box Hill I cannot imagine. It is amazing where these ex-railway vehicles turn up. I believe there is still a Somerset and Dorset carriage at Smallcombe off Widcombe Hill Bath. I once saw a London Midland and Scottish Railway coach on a farm in the Cairngorms near Tomintoul, a village that claims to be the highest village in Scotland, fifteen miles from the nearest railway. The coach bodies were comparatively light as they were made of wood, however, and didn't have the steel work of the chassis. |
I would love to discover more about the fascinating story of the railway carriage as it was a most popular and well-known local attribute at the time. Can you help please?
References
[1] Listed as living at The Retreat, whilst practicing as a lawyer in Bath, Kelly's Directory 1937
[2] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 3 August 1912
[3] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 13 March 1926
[4] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 25 September 1926
[5] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 28 January 1939
[6] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 16 February 1935
[7] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 2 March 1940
[8] Parish Magazine, July 1941
[9] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 17 December 1938
[10] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 25 September 1926
[11] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 12 November 1949
[12] Courtesy Keith Ettle, the Great Western Society Historic
[1] Listed as living at The Retreat, whilst practicing as a lawyer in Bath, Kelly's Directory 1937
[2] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 3 August 1912
[3] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 13 March 1926
[4] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 25 September 1926
[5] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 28 January 1939
[6] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 16 February 1935
[7] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 2 March 1940
[8] Parish Magazine, July 1941
[9] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 17 December 1938
[10] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 25 September 1926
[11] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 12 November 1949
[12] Courtesy Keith Ettle, the Great Western Society Historic