1883. We had Greenhouses?

There was an exhibition of old Malvern maps and photographs at the priory which we visited today.  Visiting friends had said the the Dell House was on one of them.

Not wholly sure exactly which parts belonged to the house in 1883, but clearly the whole of the section '961' was the house and garden.  Seems we had greenhouses, if my reading of the hashed areas is correct.

That part of the land is now four houses, including "Dell Cottage", which is presumably the point when "The Dell" became "The Dell House".

The section to the direct south of the house still has the name 'the tennis court' although seems to have been a considerably more viable size at the time.  Laurel, buddleia, various large trees and 150 years of dumping building waste here, make it rather more a size suited to table tennis (or, a garden railway...).

Chances are, in 1883, this was primarily a croquet lawn.  Lawn tennis was evolving around 1860-75 and it seems early games were played on croquet lawns.

The Extra Photo shows the site outline as it is now. 

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The afternoon saw some 'pruning' of the hedge by the car park. I'm sure the holly stumps will regenerate (not too bothered if they don't.  I'm far more interested in allowing the yew to recover.

With M & Caitlin here this weekend we played Castles of Mad King Ludvig in the evening where I came a firm not-quite-last.