Pigeonwick, painted by Johnston Forbes-Robertson – From Country Life article, 1990
In 1867 Ellen Terry eloped to Harpenden with Edward William Godwin, an architect. They first lived in a cottage on Gustard Wood Common, where Godwin worked on the plans for the house they subsequently built at Fallowsgreen – Pigeonwick.
Godwin’s design for Pigeonwick – RIBA 12579, 1869
Extract from 1879 OS map
Pigeonwick with gatehouse, by F Thurston 1904
The house passed through various owners. By 1926 the ivy-covered gatehouse had fallen into disrepair and was demolished.
Ivy-clad gatehouse, shortly before demolition in 1926- copied from Thurston photo LHS archive, cat.no. 209
New owners were sought in 1932.
Auction notice for sale of Fallows Green, 14 July 1932
In the 1960s the house was demolished, not long before it reached its centenary.
Demolition of Pigeonwick in 1964 – LHS-DS 631
Demolition of Pigeonwick in 1964 – LHS Archives LHS-DS 632
A cul-de-sac named after the house (which was sometimes known as Fallowsgreen House) was built in 1967.
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Further information about the last years of Fallows Green House (no.30 Sun Lane) have come to light – as the retirement party for Frank and Anne Dowson was held there when they closed Harpenden Riding School in 1963. Their hosts were Ian and Edith Mills, who had had lived there since the late 1950s. Ian ran Busby’s pharmacy, but died at the early age of 51 in 1964, when Edith sold the house. An application for outline planning permission for two blocks of maisonnettes had already been rejected in 1961, so she would have known she was the last resident.
Photos of Pigeonwick being demolished in 1964 have come to light in the course of digitising and indexing slides. Although the colour film has deteriorated, these images are a poignant reminder of lost heritage, and have been added to the page above.
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