Page 38 - Froghall Drive Our Story

April - August 1990 The extension was completed. The foundations, brickwork, general building
and plastering were done by Cliff Watts of 47 Patten Ash Road Wokingham. The owner
acted as his own main contractor who did all the drawings, obtained planning
permission and complied with the building regulations. An electrician, a plumber,
carpenters and slaters were all employed as sub-contractors. When the single storey
was demolished it was found that the roof structure was in poor condition with wood
worm and general rot thus it was a good thing that the extension had been carried out.
Traces were found of the original central heating. A properly constructed brick duct was
discovered containing two two inch galvanised unlagged steel pipes leading just below
ground level into the extension. Traces of this duct can still be found in the bed at the
back of the garden running as if
towards the visitors servants quarters. It is believed that the boiler was situated
underground in a room between the fruit shed and the house. There is an existing stack
on the end of the sheds but no fireplace inside the shed itself.
One major innovation when the house was extended was the change in the plumbing.
An unvented hot water system was installed together a state of the art central heating
boiler and controls. The hot water storage tank (now pressurised ) was installed in the
new airing cupboard in the new bathroom and the old one in the Cell plus its cupboard
removed. At the same time the cold water tank in the attic was disconnected and taken
away.

June 2001 The land immediately in front of 38 Froghall Drive belonging to 40
Froghall Drive was sold to Ian McKenzie for £15,000. This enabled him to redevelop the front of
38. The wall at the front being part of the original wall of the walled garden was demolished and
fresh walls built. (This had the advantage of squaring up the front of the properties and
reduced the area of lawn that 40 had to keep cut but was totally unable to see from their
house. The disadvantage was that the Froghall Drive Residents Association were then unable
to hold their summer BBQ on this reduced area site in front of 40)

Mains Drainage.

40 Froghall Drive is connected to council drains in Waterloo Road. The sewer runs along the
east side of the house with a manhole outside the dining room. It then runs under the extension
alongside the east side of Froghall. The next manhole is in the south east corner of Froghall
where the sewer from 42, Froghall Drive joins it. After that it turns west in front of 44 FHD and
behind Froghall. There are a number of manholes along it at this point. Finally it crosses the
land finally joining up with the main sewer in Waterloo Road. The majority of Froghall Drive is
on a private sewer system which is joined by a sewer from Priests Avenue but finally reaches
the council sewer in Tattersall Close. The council has not adopted this Froghall/Priests As it is
not up to their standard and the residents are not prepared to pay for the upgrade.

Froghall Residents Association was formed many years ago essentially to raise some money to
buy drain rods which are available free of charge to all those who contribute to the fund.

Froghall in General

1. Buckhurst Grove

On 22.11.54 a builder Telling bought Froghall (temporally called Buzzacott Hall) and about seven
acres of surrounding land from Buzzacott. The latter retained "The Cottage" now 40 Froghall
Drive and carried on living there with his housekeeper Betty Miller.

Telling built the houses in Buckhurst Grove but was unable to sell them until he provided a private
footpath from the blind end of Buckhurst through to Froghall Drive so that the residents had easy