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.
The house passed through various owners. By 1926 the ivy-covered gatehouse had fallen into disrepair and was demolished.
New owners were sought in 1932.
In the 1960s the house was demolished, not long before it reached its centenary.
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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