Cotebrook House
Additional information details
| Name | Cotebrook House |
|---|---|
| Location | 19 Oughtrington Lane, Lymm, Cheshire, WA13 0QY |
| Description |
Cotebrook Home 1948 to 1976 . A history of Cotebrook Home from 1948 to 1976 donated by Andy Sheppard (My grandmother was Matron of the Home from 1958 to 1976 and so I spent a lot of my childhood there). During the second world war there was little accommodation available for disabled people and Mary Burtt, a Quaker from Liverpool opened a hostel in the village hall of Cotebrook near Tarporley in Cheshire. This provided a safe place for disabled people to live away from the air raids on Liverpool. At the end of the war the patients had to leave Cotebrook, but many had nowhere else to go. The Society of Friends went all out to try and raise enough money to buy a property to house them in. For three months they lived in a house at Fence near Burnley and when they had to leave that house, they were allowed to stay in Penketh Friend’s meeting house. Then Oughtrington House (built by the Dewhurst Family) in Lymm was found. The Friends bought the house on a mortgage and it was renamed Cotebrook in remembrance of all the love and kindness shown there during the war. A non-profit making society ‘Cotebrook Ltd’ was formed and a Home for disabled ladies opened. In 1948 Local Authorities were required to provide accommodation for disabled people and so funds were available to pay for accommodation for them. The first matron at Cotebrook Home was Mrs Jones who was followed in 1958 to 1976 by Mrs Margaret Mason who had been Assistant Matron and her husband James Mason who became Superintendent of the Home. Particularly, during the early years there was little spare money at the Home, and everyone worked very hard to raise money for the new ground floor extension during the 1960s to provide new sleeping accommodation for the disabled residents. For many years Mrs Mason provided all the night cover sometimes never having an uninterrupted night’s sleep for a week. The disabled residents firmly regarded Cotebrook as their home and many of those who were able were keen to help by doing jobs such as laying tables in the dining room and washing up in the days before dishwashers. The Annual Garden Party at Cotebrook Home was always a major event in the Home’s calendar. Many local people and groups (such as the local scout group) offered support. The residents in the Home and local volunteers had stalls selling handicrafts they had made, soft drinks and sweets. There were games such as a tombola and a coconut shy. A large marquee was erected on the top lawn of the Home and afternoon teas were sold. There was always entertainment; one year there was a police dog display team, another year a judo display team and groups of dancers. One year a Wild West Display team gave a wild west show with horses, guns and mock western buildings. Prior to the Garden Party, they rode through the village on the back of an open lorry dressed in western cowboy outfits to advertise their show. A raised platform was set up in front house and an honoured guest was asked to formerly open the garden party. One year a member of the Dewhurst family opened the garden party and spoke about having visited Cotebrook in his youth when it was still a private home. Members of the Committee which ran Cotebrook, also gave speeches updating everyone on the progress of the home. For many years Mr Blakeman Chaired the Committee. Cotebrook retained many of the features of a country house with a walled vegetable garden, potting sheds, greenhouses to grow tomatoes in and an apple orchard. One of the old stables off the yard at the back of the Home was used to store the resident’s outdoor wheelchairs and on the walls of the stables were the names of the previous owner’s horses with feeders on the walls to put hay in. The lofts above the stables were used to store the autumn’s crop of apples. Next to the old stables was a washing room with a large washing machine in and there was also an airing room which was heated a by a small coke burner next door. A family of swallows always made a nest in the roof of the room with the coke burner in because it was always warm in there and the door open. In the kitchen of the Home there was a very long coke burning Aga cooker alongside one wall which meant the kitchen was also always warm and cosy. |
| Donor | Andy C Sheppard |
