Granny Stewart's House

For years the late Jim Payler looked for a photograph of Granny Stewart's house which was located on the opposite side of the canal from where, as a boy, he grew up with his parents - in number 72 High Street, set behind the Sun, Moon and Stars public house.  This family house is shaded pink in the map part of the inset image.

It seemed that while various experienced photographers, such as Walter Alexander, were shooting at 'everything' on the canal and villagers were recording at random, sometimes from the top of the church tower, there was never the right angle to pick up Granny Stewart's house. Apparently she was quite a character who made an impression on Jim.

Somebody, in the early 1950s, before the mill bridge was widened, took a fair picture looking through the rounded arch of the large Victorian hump-backed bridge hidden within mill bridge.  There is modest hut in the distance, set nearer to the camera than the sewage management hut that one can just make out through the arch. A visit down to the canal bank with a camera confirms the alignment and the deductible position of the modest hut, which is now gone, that must have been just at the boundary of the wharf-company's land. Currently there are too many boats moored at that edge to obtain a direct view.

In 1936, the occupancy was recorded as Joseph Stewart, Mill Wharf. In 1952, at the time of general house numbering there was a widow recorded at No.4, The Mill - Joseph having passed away in 1944. At least this confirms the family, at one time a Joseph and F.  Stewart, parents who have a grandson still living in the village (Doug Stewart).

Beryl Payler reckons I am many months too late with these revelations - Jim would have been pleased.