Looking for a home formerly known as The Limes. It was/is near Headley, Newbury, Berks. It is, however, not the property presently operating as a guest house. My mother's family lived there in the 1950's. It was a white stone building, perhaps.
A contemporary neighbor wrote to my Grandmother, somewhere before 1960, and listed her address as "Riding's Cottage". In that note, it was mentioned that the Limes had been renamed (illegible) the Gallentyne???
Any thoughts or knowledge of this property, photographs, etc., would be most helpful.
I have a "friend" who is a postie and although he doesn't do that area, he did do a bit of research based on what he knows of the area. The first of his suggestions was that as far as he knows, there is no house in Headley bearing the name Gallentyne, but, there is a road called Galley Lane which runs off the A339 towards Plaistow Green. Could this be a road name and not a house. The only other thing he could find was just outside Headley, but close enough that it might be considered to be within the village area and that is at a place called Goose Hill close to the Ashford Hill Road. There is a small lane called Riddings Lane which runs off the Ashford Hill Road. The farm to the left of that lane is called Riddings Farm and there is, on the right of that lane, a fairly old cottage called Riddings Cottage. It is next to a house called either Darton or Parton House. The other clue is that there are very few Lime trees in the area except close to Riddings Cottage there is a small copse of Limes but there doesn't appear to be a house today called the Limes. He is fairly sure that no properties in that area have been demolished. Try searching for postcode RG19 8AU for the general position on Google earth. You can go a bit down Ridding Lane on Street View but not enough to see any properties. If you think this is what you are looking for, I will try and get out there with a camera.
Isn't it strange. A person comes on and makes a one and only post. I take the trouble to attempt to answer their question and they can't be bothered to acknowledge. Why bother in the beginning if they are not interested in the reply.
It does seem a bit forgetful not to acknowledge your comments. Maybe the poster had to drive a lonesome highway to find an internet cafe. I was offline after a 2000 PC died and I had to resort to a local library to pick up e-mail. Only a 10 minute walk away, but sometimes it does bring on a certain amount of laziness.
Thank you. I've had some time to take a look at what you've found.
Just to recap what I know. The letters that we've got, so far, are only addressed to the Limes, Newbury, Berkshire. The letter from the woman living in the cottage was just Ridings (one d) Cottage. Again, she says that the Limes house was renamed Gallentyne? (it's definitely one word, but not legible) when a new family moved in. These homes would have housed British and American officers.
My mother mentioned at one point that the house may have also been called the Limes Headley. Why? I don't know. She was very young at the time. So, this memory might not be accurate and when I searched for that, I ended up at Headley Heath.
So, it seems like what you've found is in the right direction. It was near a farm - possibly a dairy - and the cottage was a "neighbor". Using Google Earth information and the land survey, around Riddings Lane, I wasn't able to find pictures of the "Darton House" if it's still there.
What do you think? Could it be the Darton House that I'm looking for? Or, something else.
Again, your help is appreciated, and I apologize for not responding earlier.
Well good afternoon USA,Brian and MG. I have spent the morning poking about. I think Galley lane leading to Common lane in Headley is your best chance. A place called "The Nuthach" is surrounded by trees,maybe a lime. #8 Common lane.
Less than a km is a smallholding with what looks like a wooden standing area for milk churns. A dairy farm?......The house would be less than 5 minutes from Greenham common. Too late in those days.
I do remember descending Ashampstead hill sideways .(Brother was driving) Because I have been pottering about I might have made some road name errors. Good luck.
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