Page 3 - Froghall Drive Our Story

Les Roland (No. 40)

Les had already done quite a lot of research into the drive, but more specifically the history of No.
40, for personal reasons. The Cottage, as it was once called, has often been sold as a separate
property from the hall. I have the originals of his research and have taken the generic facts from it
and will be expanding them as I get more information. An interesting set of photos of the drive
exist, from 1954.

[NB: Les Roland died in February 2016].

Stuart Ingwell (No 47A)

Stuart had the deeds for No. 47A and supporting maps showing the period when the hall was called
Buzzacott Hall, in the late 1940s. This information relates to the area around Nos. 43/45/47 and
47A.

Sylvia Smith

Following correspondence on the "Memories of Wokingham" Facebook group pages, Sylvia Smith

sent me some detailed information regarding Nos 44 & 46:
I believe my father Richard Emlyn Hughes bought 10 Buckhurst Grove off Peter Telling in the
summer/autumn 1963, I believe Telling was living in the house at the time. The property
consisted of the bungalow set on 1 acre of land and an acre and a half of lake, also the
alleyway leading from Buckhurst Grove to Froghall Drive.

When Telling sold Froghall to Charlesworth he kept the old granary (No 44) and adjoining land
(where No 46 is now). The granary was a timber building up on stone mushroom. In 1963 it was
occupied by Len and Maud(?) Telling, a cousin (I believe) of Peter Telling. The dwelling
consisted of a small lounge, a dining room, a kitchen and one bedroom. In approximately
1965/66 my father Richard Hughes bought the adjoining land (where No 46 now stands) and
maybe bought No 44 at the same time: I'm not really sure when he purchased 44 as Len and
Maud Telling carried on renting it off of my father. When they did move out it was rented out
until my brother Geoffrey Hughes moved in after he was married in 1970. This was transferred
to Geoffrey Hughes and sometime in the next year or so the house was knocked down and the
present house was built.

My father obtained permission to build a bungalow on the land (No 46). Charlesworth argued
that we didn't have a right of way to get to the land and stood in front of diggers trying to get
there to do the ground work, it ended up going to the courts in London which found in our
favour. My father owner built the bungalow sub contracting the labour. I bought the home in
1968 when I married. The alleyway has never been owned by No 46 as I stated early it was part
of 10 Buckhurst Grove, but there was the right of way over the land in front of No 46 for
residents of Buckhurst Grove who used the alleyway.

About 1976 Richard Hughes sub-divided 10 Buckhurst Grove into 2 titles and built the house
down by the lake, 70 Waterloo Road.

I knew the Tapsells very well, they were wonderful neighbours. I still have photos of George
with my boys but unfortunately I don't have any of No 42 or No 44 before they were demolished.
Sylvia Smith (May 2018)