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Bell's Postcards

A snapshot of the village in the 1920s

By Kathryn Betts

We are fortunate that several early twentieth century photographers felt that it was worthwhile to come to Meldreth and take photographs of the village. Robert H Clarke from Royston and Bell's Photo Company of Westcliff-on-Sea are two such companies and on this page, I have attempted to catalogue and date the Meldreth postcards produced by Bell's. Each of their postcards of Meldreth has a six digit number, starting with "1023..". So far, we have identified a sequence of 71 numbers and from that sequence, have found and scanned all but three of the postcards (numbers 102330, 102383 and 102391). The evidence so far points to these photographs all having been taken in the 1920s.

Bell's took photographs not only of the Church and the village's quaint thatched cottages, but also of the school, the railway station and the newly built council houses, so creating an invaluable picture of the village.

Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to find a catalogue of Bell's postcards.

How you can help

Please add a comment to the bottom of this page or email us if you can help with the following:

If you know of a catalogue of Bell's postcards
If you can date any of these images
If you are a postcard collector and have additional images of Meldreth, we would be very grateful for copies of those.
If you own any Bell's postcards that have been postally used, then it would be a great help to us to know the date of posting.

Thank you.

Click on any of the thumbnails below to show a larger version of the image.

Reference Number	Postcard and Caption	Details	Date and/or Comments
102329	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Meldreth Station
102330
102331	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Station Road, Meldreth (war memorial)	After 1920. The dedication of the war memorial took place in February 1920.
102332	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Entrance to Meldreth	After 1920 (see above).
102333	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Greetings from Meldreth	Multiview postcard showing Meldreth Church (102335), the Manor House (102345), North End (102340), High Street (102349) and Gilton Bridge (102338)
102334	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Just a Card from Meldreth	Multiview postcard showing Allerton Terrace (102348), North End (102341), Meldreth Church (102335), The Gables (102343) and the Manor House (102346)
102335	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Meldreth Church
102336	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Meldreth Church	Showing interior
102337	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Doorway, Meldreth Church
102338	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Gilton Bridge, North End, Meldreth
102339	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Stream, North End, Meldreth
102340	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	North End, Meldreth
102341	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Jubilee cottages
102342	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	North End, Meldreth
102343	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Gables
102344	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Cross Roads, Meldreth	Final digit not clear, presumably "4"
102345	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	"Manor House", Meldreth	Meldreth Manor
102346	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	"Manor House", Meldreth	Meldreth Manor
102347	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Kneesworth Road, Meldreth	Now known as West Way. The first row of council houses (pictured) was built in the 1920s and the first residents moved in in 1931.
102348	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Allerton Terrace, Meldreth	After 1910/11, when the houses were built. (Two versions of this card exist, numbered 102348 and 105348.)
102349	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Street, Meldreth	High Street, showing Keys Cottage in the foreground
102350	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Wesleyan Chapel, North End	Message on reverse of one copy of this postcard is dated 1948 (postmark indistinct) (source: Ebay)
102351	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Meldreth Church
102352	Supplied by Joan Gane	Vicarage & Church, Meldreth	Postmarked 1930
102353	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Wesleyan Chapel, Meldreth
102354	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Mill, Meldreth	Topcliffe Mill
102355	Supplied by Brian Clarke	Post Office Meldreth	Postmarked 1927
102356	Supplied by Joan Gane	"Malton" Meldreth	Postmarked 1926
102357	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Council Houses, Meldreth (North End, looking north) (last digit looks like 9 but guessing it is 7)	The land for the Council Houses was sold in 1921, and they are likely to have been built 1923-4.
102358	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Council Houses, Meldreth (North End looking south + parish Room)	The land for the Council Houses was sold in 1921, and they are likely to have been built 1923-4. The parish room is shown in a dilapidated condition. It was certainly ruinous by 1942 and was demolished after the war.
102359	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Meldreth Schools	After 1910
102360	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Old Cottages, Meldreth	North End cottage demolished 1947
102361	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Old Cottages, Meldreth	Now no 13, North End
102362	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Old Cottages, Meldreth	Thatched cottage, North End
102363	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Old Cottages, Meldreth	Willow Way Cottages, North End
102364	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Old Smithy, Meldreth
102365	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Stocks, Meldreth
102366	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Stocks, Meldreth
102367	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The "Sailors Return", Meldreth
102368	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Mill, Meldreth	Flambards Mill. After 1910. The photograph was taken after the mill burnt down (believed to be in 1910 or later).
102369	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Mill, Meldreth	Flambards Mill. See 102368, above.
102370	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Meldreth Station
102371	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Station Road, Meldreth
102372	Supplied by Ann Handscombe
102373	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Station Hill, Meldreth
102374	Supplied by Tony Abrey	Rose Cottages, Meldreth
102375	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Orchard Cottage, Meldreth	Now known as Bramble Cottage
102376	Supplied by Joan Gane	The "Dumb Flea" Inn, Meldreth
102377	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Donkey Hall, Meldreth	Before early 1930s. These cottages were pulled down by Charlie Plumb after 1931 when the residents were re-housed in the newly-built council houses in Kneesworth Road (now West Way). See 102347 above.
102378	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Meldreth	Cottage in Whitecroft Road
102379	Supplied by Tim Gane	Allerton Terrace, Meldreth	After 1910/11, when Allerton Terrace was built. The Railway Tavern is also pictured.
102380	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Chiswick End, Meldreth
102381	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Chiswick End, Meldreth	Chestnut Cottage
102382	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Chiswick End, Meldreth	Addleston Cottages
102383
102384	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Chiswick End, Meldreth	Showing the junction with Whitecroft Road
102385	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Post Office, Meldreth	1924?
102386	Supplied by Brian Clarke	High Street, Meldreth	The Old Bell Public House
102387	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Old Cottage, Meldreth	Applecote Cottage
102388	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Council Houses, Whitecroft Road, Meldreth
102389	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	"Manor House", Meldreth	Meldreth Manor
102390	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	"Manor House", Meldreth	Meldreth Manor
102391
102392	Supplied by Ann Hanscombe	Meldreth Court, Meldreth
102393	Supplied by Tim Gane	The Garden, Meldreth Court
102394	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Rockery, Meldreth Court
102395	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	The Fountain, Meldreth Court
102396	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Meldreth Mill	Topcliffe Mill
102397	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Greetings from Meldreth	Multiview postcard showing Meldreth Church and vicarage (102352), Post Office (102355), Council Houses (102357), Railway Tavern (102379) and Flambards Mill (102368)
102398	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Just a Card from Meldreth	Multiview postcard showing Meldreth Church and vicarage (102352), Post Office (102385), The Schools (102359), The Stocks (102365) and Flambards Mill (102368)
102399	Supplied by Ann Handscombe	Greetings from Meldreth	Multiview postcard showing the Post Office (102355), High Street (102349), Meldreth Church (102335), Topcliffe Mill (102399) and the Stocks (102365)

This page was added by Kathryn Betts on 21/06/2012.

Comments about this page

I am involved with the Barton Turf History Project. I have images of a number of postcards of Barton Turf and Barton Broad which I believe are Bell’s. Number 84960 shows Barton Turf Church with two lines of lime saplings which were planted in 1922 when the Lychgate War Memorial was completed, so this photograph was probably taken soon after. Number 84962 shows the Lychgate itself and was obviously taken at the same time. I also have a postcard of Barton Broad that was posted in 1935. It is numbered 157925. That puts your Meldreth sequence somewhere between 1922 and 1935. I hope this helps.

By Colin Gilbert
On 05/11/2012

I have a photo postcard of Meldreth Brewery, not numbered but "Pub by Robert H Clark" is printed in the bottom right corner. It is postmarked Royston May 4 05 and was received by my great grandmother Mrs Ralph Henry Flitton in Vancouver on May 8 1905. I can scan it for you if you are interested. I also have postcards 102389 and 102394 and on the back of the latter someone has written "still Miss Mortlocks they look older" which may help with dating. Sadly no postmark. I believe my great grandfather was a miller in Meldreth - possibly Sheene Mill - until 1892 when he encountered "financial difficulties". I would be grateful if anyone could verify this for me. Many thanks.

By Gail Flitton
On 30/01/2013

Many thanks adding a comment, Gail. A William Flitton was a miller at Sheene Mill from at least 1858 until 1869. An auction of his goods and "live and dead farming stock" was held at the mill in September 1869 because he was "quitting". He is listed in several of the trade directories which we have transcribed on this site. Members of his family later lived in the Mill House in Shepreth (a neighbouring village). Ralph Henry Flitton was listed as a miller in 1888, and was almost certainly at Sheene Mill. By the time of the 1891 census, he was a "fruit grower" living in North End, Meldreth.

By Kathryn Betts
On 30/01/2013

Hi, I would date these cards as 1925. I have hundreds of Bell's cards on my web site harwichanddovercourt.com

By Gavin Bleakley
On 25/04/2017

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