Comments on: WW2 photo – can you help locate?

By: Paul Baines

Paul Baines — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 17:46:52 +0000

Hi Susie.
I think I remember your mum. I lived in Middlethorpe Drive, opposite the outer grounds of the Lodge, which had once been orchards and stables, and in which I and my friends were free to play. Your mum’s family lived in the inner grounds, which were secured by high beech hedges and barbed wire fencing, but she very occasionally appeared at the fence with her younger siblings, Micky and Kenny. I certainly remember your Grandad, who used to wobble off to the pub every day on his bike. He would be headed for The Fox or, more likely, the Cross Keys. I’m afraid Mike K’s well-intentioned information is wrong. The Lodge may well have been vacated by the original owners (The Meek family) in the 1930’s, but was taken over by The War Department, and only demolished in about 1959, when Shepherd Homes built The Spinney.
I’m sure I once found a line drawing illustration of the Lodge on the internet, but I can’t find it any more. It’s a shame, because it was a very impressive building.

By: Susie Joned

Susie Joned — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 21:01:30 +0000

Really thankful Mike for all this work . I am a little perplexed as my Mum was born in 1937 but she lived in the Lodge. But the dates dobt correlate.
Thank you
Susie

By: Lisa @YorkStories

Lisa @YorkStories — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 22:38:16 +0000

Mike, thanks for all your research on this, sorry for the lack of response. Will try to contact Susie if she provided an email address with the comment.
Lisa

By: Mike K

Mike K — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 23:55:23 +0000

Hi Susie, done a bit of digging on Middlethorpe Lodge. There’s very little info available online as the Lodge was demolished in the 1930s – presumably after your mum and granddad had moved on. The only possible photograph seems to be a cabinet card which is held by the National Library of Ireland. I say possible as the description in their catalogue is a little vague and mentions ‘Lady Grant Lawson, Middlethorpe Lodge on horse:’ it may of her seated on a horse outside the Lodge or it may just be a reference to where she lived. It might be worth your while contacting them and asking if there’s any chance of viewing without having to travel to Dublin.

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000691666

There’s also a very brief mention of the Lodge on the site below but only to distinguish it from Middlethorpe Grange which was a completely different building.

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/york/vol3/pp96-122

York Civic Trust produced a leaflet on Dringhouses which includes a small map containing Middlethorpe Lodge. It’s a PDF file which you can download from the link below.

http://yorkcivictrust.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Dringhouses-Exploring-Dringhouses-Without.pdf

By: Susie Jones

Susie Jones — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 22:35:54 +0000

Hi
I am looking for information on Middlethorpe Lodge, as my Mum who was born in 1937 lived at the Lodge, with her 9 siblings, during World War 2 as my Grandad was the Caretaker at the time. His name was Edgar James and my Mums name was Rena May.
I would to find a picture

By: Pat

Pat — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 13:15:50 +0000

Anne, I used to have a lovely photo looking out through one of the moongates over the allotments (not a road) from the drive up to the rear of Nunthorpe Hall from Albemarle Road. I’ve had a look but can’t put my hand on it at the moment. If I find it, I will post it. The views were beautiful.

I used to push my baby in her (old-style Silver Cross) pram up and down that steep drive most days. I remember the older couple who lived in the house next to the drive (called ‘Moongates’) were incredibly nice and very kind to an impoverished young family, often offering us their old furniture etc.

It was a great period of my life, and I was very sad the first time I went back to York and found that the Hall had gone.