Loriners, Rope Walk House & Trentham, Elham

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These houses have the date stone 1742, but as with so many Elham houses, this represents a re-fronting and partial rebuilding, and they contain earlier work at the rear.

They also have a Sun Insurance mark. In this case the policy holder was John Andrews of North Elham, who insured both houses in 1776 for £100.

In the 1800's "Loriners" became the harness maker's house (hence it's name) with the single storey workshop attached (now Rope Walk House). Two generations of the Keeler family (of whom William, in the 1840's received letters, but did not operate a full post office) were succeeded by Edwin Gatehouse, Elham's last harness maker.

In this 1921 postcard, the single storey harness maker's workshop can just be seen at the left.

"Loriners" then became the shop of Sid Smith's Valley Dairy. This Parish Magazine advert is from 1959, the last year of it's operating. Deliveries did however continue from Lyminge.

"Trentham" was, for a while, one of Elham's many bakeries. It was operated by Charlotte Floyd who, already a widow, had the misfortune to lose her young son by drowning in the river Nailbourne in 1846.

The single storey building in the centre of the picture above was converted into a two storey building and when we moved to Elham in 1986 this was being used by Mrs. Baird as an Ironmongers shop. Shopping there was like taking a step back in time and the stock held by Mrs Baird was amazing. You could go in there and by a single screw or bolt and if the item was not carried in stock it could be ordered for you - try doing that at Homebase or B&Q!

Mrs Baird carried on running the shop until it was finally closed in the mid 1990's. The property has now had the shop front and door removed as can be seen from the picture below.

Page last updated  08/11/2006