Then and Now

How much has Ludham changed?

With its ancient church and thatched cottages, Ludham seems a timeless place, but actually change is all around us.

The Ludham Archive contains lots of old photographs and we thought it would be fun to go to the same spot and take a modern photograph. Just compare the two and the changes should be obvious. So we have set ourselves this ongoing project to show just where the changes have been. This is a lot easier said than done and finding the exact spot to stand can be a bit of a problem.

Here is a collection of then and now pictures. We hope you like them. Keep looking in as we will be adding more as we take them.

The view from the tower.
To start things off, here is a fabulous view taken from the church tower in 1927. It is followed by a modern version.
Most of these buildings are still there, although The Baker's Arms pub (right of Thrower's shop) has gone as part of the road widening scheme. The buildings to the left of Throwers have all changed and behind the King's Arms we now see the Garage workshops in an area which was once occupied by England's Millwrights. Beyond Throwers is the former open space of Latchmore where village fairs were once held. Now it is a housing estate.

then

The Dog Inn

We know that The Dog has been a pub at least since the early past of the nineteenth century and it is likely there has been an inn on the site since the 1680s. Here are our then and now pictures. The first picture is a postcard from about 1912. The second picture is from 2009. Apart from the flat roof extension, the building has changed very little.

The view from the Bridge

In stark contrast to the previous pictures, the view from Ludham Bridge looking north has changed out of all recognition. The first photograph is from the 1930s and shows A L Parkinson's shop, cafe and petrol pumps. The second picture shows the area in 2009. The picture cannot be taken from exactly the same spot as Ludham Bridge itself has moved further south.

Beaumont's Mill

The area to the south of the bridge has changed a lot too. Here we see Beaumont's Mill which by 2009 has been replaced by a mooring basin. This is the view looking north towards the bridge.

then

How Hill

The first picture shows How Hill House in 1911. At this time it was the holiday home for the Boardman family and was quite small. Later, the house was extended and servants quarters added so that the family could move there permanently. The 2009 picture shows just how much was added.

How Hill
1911

The view from the house has actually changed very little. The first view is from 1915 followed by a 2009 equivalent. The formal gardens have grown up and there are more trees now. Turf Fen mill looks much the same although it did become derelict and was restored in the intervening 94 years.

This view of the house from 1906 just after it was built is virtually unchanged in 2009. Only the horse and cart have gone.

The large front extension at How Hill House is known as "The Big Room". Below we see a picture taken when the room was just completed at Christmas 1915. To the right of this we see the same room during a sale in 2009. Now this was a very special room with a fantastic view, and below we see a further picture taken in the heyday of this room probably in the 1950s or 60s. What do you think of the green paint on the beams?

Toad Hole Cottage is now a museum showing the life of a marshman. Back in 1911, the cottage was part of the How Hill estate and was used a sort of wendy house by the Boardman children.
At first glance, the building seems unchanged, but look more closely to the right of the door and you see that a whole small room has vanished. You can still trace out where it used to be in the brickwork.

In the High Street back in the 1960s we see a house next to the garage. Now only the distinctive gatepost remains to remind us it was once there.

Another part of the High Street which has changed a lot is the area next to the Kings Arms. The former bus garage has gone and now the space is a car park. The house has become a shop. The photograph is probably from the 1930s and the modern one is from 2010.

Manor Farm in Staithe Road is still quite recognisable.

H D Brooks' Cycle shop has become The Cat's Whiskers.

	Buildings can change a lot in 50 years. It is hard to imagine that these two pictures are of the same Ludham cottage. Successive owners have carried out a lot of work here. The two pictures below are also of a house which has changed totally. Once again, it is hard to believe they are the same place, but they are.

Ludham Methodist church has changed little in 150 years

The King's Arms pub looks rather different now. There is an extra window and it has been painted. It is the area to the right of the pub which has changed the most.