23 Station Road

The origins and pre-1921 history of this house are here 17, 19, 21 & 23 Station Road

The Story from 1921

Owned by the Wimpole Estate from 1859, Walter Charter of 38 Cherryhinton Road, Cambridge acquired this plot and all four cottages at the 1911 Wimpole Estate dispersal sale. On 7 September 1921 Walter sold No 21 & No 23 to George Potton, who lived on The Green. George died 23 January 1922 and ownership passed to his widow Mary Ann Potton nee Jarman. No 23 was occupied in 1921 by Charles Jarman, who was father of Mary Ann. He died in 1924 and Mary Ann took up residence, although she may have moved in earlier after husband George died 1922?

Mary Ann was resident in 1939 with son Charles George. Mary Ann died 8 January 1964 and ownership passed to their only child Charles George Potton. He remained owner until he died 31 December 1995.

Charles George Potton “Charlie”

Charles George was a character. He married Elsie May Oliver of Guilden Morden and the village story is that as they were leaving the church, down the aisle, disagreement broke out as to where they would live. Elsie wanted to remain in High Street, Guilden and Charlie preferred Station Road, Steeple. It is unclear as to the outcome, although subsequently Elsie and Charlie were certainly recorded in the public records as residing at High Street, Guilden. Charlie seems also to have spent time at Station Road. Word in the village was that he returned to Guilden on Sundays for his lunch!

He could often be seen with his bicycle, which he generally seemed to push, rather than ride. On any Sunday in the 1980s he would often be found pushing his bike along Black Lane on the way to lunch with relations on The Green, which rather goes against the previous anecdote!  Meeting Charlie would result in a lengthy and wide-ranging conversation, which always featured horses and his special skills in training and riding them. Invariably, I was late for my Sunday lunch!

Post Potton

After Charles George died in 1995 the house appears to have remained empty, until it was bought in 1999 by Ian M Glasscock and Zara C Skidmore, who sold to Julian Grant Crane and Elizabeth Mary Crane in 2002. The Cranes remained in residence in 2022.

The 2008 view of the house below shows that it has been extended on the right or south side, with newer slates visible on the extension. This extension replaced an earlier one built of timber and thatched. No 23 has a large garden as it absorbed a large part of the garden to No 21, when that was sold by Charles George Potton in 1965.

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