Homes in Coleorton
The Thatches, Stoney Lane

The Thatches in 2019

Originally built around 1600, believed to have been the gamekeeper’s cottage for the Beaumont Estate. It's a Grade II listed: see Historic England entry 1177208 >>

This is written by two members of the Heritage Group, one of whom, Judith, is related to previous occupants of the Thatches, the other, Mike, lived there himself for several years.

Sam and Ada Stewart (née Marson) lived with their three children, Sam, Ada and Clarry in a small thatched cottage in Stoney Lane. Today that cottage is known as The Thatches. They lived there until the middle of the twentieth century.

Once their family were adults, Sam and Ada made available to each of their three children, land on which to build homes of their own. Young Ada married Roland Hill and had one son Kenneth. Their bungalow was built in land adjacent to their parents. Sam junior was married to Agnes and they had three children Greta, Betty and Trevor. Their house was built next to his sister’s bungalow and called Cwm Rhondda; I understand it’s still called that today. Clarry married John Whyman and they had one son Clifford. Their house was built on the opposite side of Stoney Lane next to the white cottage.

Judith Appleyard

I moved into the Thatches in November 1987. The Thatches was a timber framed cottage, brick in-filled, on stone block foundations, with a long straw thatched roof. It is a grade 2 listed building so it is still much the same as it was when it was built, although the foundations have been much improved in more recent times. The kitchen was added later where an outhouse once stood although the original foundations may have been utilised as the kitchen floor slopes away from the cottage by about 6-8 inches! I had the kitchen re-fitted out and the wall cabinets had to be stepped round the walls, and the washing machine needed its own level foundation.

The Cottage is about 450 years old and was originally called "Ivy Cottage" and part of the Beaumont Estate. Possibly used as the gamekeepers cottage in its early days although in more recent times, the gamekeeper is known to have resided in Canterbury Lodge.

During work on the garden some interesting finds turned up including burnt and melted bricks, which must have come from a forge. In the adjacent Woolrooms a nail maker is known to have worked and the bricks may have come from there, or possibly there was a forge in the garden of the Thatches. I also dug up an intact stone beer jar, marked "J.Marston Thompson & Son Ltd, Brewers, Burton on Trent". The name was only used between 1898 and 1905 due to various mergers that took place, so the jar is now about 120 years old.

The cottage included a rather nice fireplace with a metal basket for burning logs. We quickly found though that although it looked rather nice, the thermal updraft from the fire quickly sucked all the heat out of the cottage! I changed it for a log burning stove which was much more effective. Sounds easy but it involved making and fitting a steel plate to seal the fireplace from the chimney and installing a Stainless Steel liner in the chimney.

We hosted a Millenium Party in the garden, attended by most of the local residents, on happily a warm bright sunny day. Barry Hill from next door was the MC and in his element, and Mike (next one along) manned the barbeque, old fashioned style in half an old oil drum.

Mike Cox

The Thatches, Stoney Lane, Coleorton

Drawing of The Thatches by Mike's daughter


The Thatches Blue PlaqueThe Thatches is a Coleorton Blue Plaque site. See more about the Thatches >>

Coleorton Heritage Group

Tel: 01530 440000 Email: enquiries@coleortonheritage.org.uk