Key to features on aerial photograph, ‘Naylor Benzon Mining Co Ltd,
Nassington Area’. (Item no 812)
Notes made from conversation with Nigel Orwin, 4 November 2003
A
Apethorpe Hall gate house, Wood Cottage demolished mid-1990s.
B
Wansford doctors’ surgery, formerly Hill Farm.
C
Hill House, built c1912 with money from Earl Fitzwilliam’s estate manager
(who was later dismissed). Had 12 bedrooms, stables, walled garden, 2
paddocks, tennis court and c 10 acres. Hidden by trees, opposite doctors’
surgery. During WW2, Hill House was a hostel for evacuees and displaced
children: the house was owned by Nigel Orwin’s grandparents, but his
grandfather was a refrigeration engineer working in Canada, so the house
was empty.
D
Start of Green Lane, where John Sutton’s workshops are now situated.
E
Sulehay Forest, Wansford Quarter.
F
Site of German P-O-W camp: Nissan huts, theatre, chapel and administration
block. Still in use in 1947.
G
Water tower for P-O-W camp.
H
Motor transport office for P-O-W camp.
I
Old Sulehay – originally a hunting lodge within Rockingham Forest. The
original lodge no longer stands; present-day ‘Old Sulehay House’ was the
servants’ quarters.
J
Green Lane crosses A47 going on to Grantham. It is part of the old drove
road between Grantham and Bedford. Near Fotheringhay, it is known as
‘Queen’s Road’ because it is said that Mary Queen of Scots made her final
journey to Fotheringay Castle along this lane.
K
Ornamental gate on Apethorpe Hall driveway at Sulehay.
L
Ornamental bridge over the railway line.
M
Bluefields Lodge
N
Site of present-day Rutland Oil depot and offices.
O
Course of stream after it leaves Bedford Purlieus to run down to the Nene at
Wansford.
P
Jack’s Green cottage, now in ownership of Will Tomkins.
Q
Ironstone quarry offices and engine sheds: only the office buildings remain.
Loco ‘Jack’s Green’ is not at Nene Valley Railway; loco ‘Ring Haw’ is on the
North Norfolk Railway.
R
Areas believed to be Church Commission land, farmed by Fullers at Cross
Leys Farm.
S
Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve.
T
40 Acre Field. Burnt circle marks from iron-ore smelting in Roman times have
now been eradicated by ploughing.
U
Main camp for King’s Cliffe Airfield.
V
Possibly the motor transport block for the airfield
X
Nigel Orwin’s bungalow, ‘Highfield’.
Y
Railway line to Peterborough East Station.
Z
Airfield hangar, venue for last U.S. airbase concert played by Glenn Miller and
his band. Present-day site of memorial erected by K.S.R. Ltd to
commemorate the event.
AA
Pump house, now the garage part of the present-day Paws and Claws
Cattery buildings. Water was pumped to the water tank for the P-O-W camp.
BB
Duty personnel quarters on the airfield.
Red line indicates course of former driveway from former Gate House (A) to
Apethorpe Hall, arriving between the avenue of trees which still stand beyond the
bridge in Apethorpe
Yellow outlines area of land purchased by Howard Farms from Hinkley family
(formerly KSR) in 2002.
Green outlines area of land purchased by Will Tomkins from Hinkley family (formerly
KSR) in 2002.
Other features pointed out by Clive Giddings
(Clive worked at K.S.R. and Vesuvius KSR until the site closed at the end of 2002.
He rescued an original print of the aerial photograph from the rubbish skip when the
Vesuvius/K.S.R. was cleared.)
CC
Test firing pits for aircraft – fragments of ammunition can still be found in the
area.
DD
‘Ikie Dixon’s’, according to Clive’s late father, Alf Giddings.
Nigel also mentioned Mr Linnett, the night watch-man on the A47. Find out
more!