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The 'Most Missed' Buildings in Elstree & Borehamwood, Part 5

Here is the next on our list of the 'Most Missed' buildings in our area.  They are in no particular order, and we are adding them one by one, week by week, and would love to have your feedback on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. What are your memories? Which is your 'Most Missed'?  What iconic building have we forgotten? Let us know on

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The Old Houses In Elstree

The Old Houses in the 1920s

Upon seeing the photos of this line of houses on Elstree High Street many people assume they were original Elizabethan half-timbered houses, and are shocked they were demolished in the 1960s. But their history is not that simple. A quick examination of the buildings shows that there are no overhanging upper stories or uneven roof lines which are so characteristic of Elizabethan construction. You only have to look at the 15th century Holly Bush Pub further down the hill to see what I mean.

The Old Houses In The Snow

Sad to say they were created in the early 1900s by Sir Trevor Dawson, the wealthy head of Vickers Armaments, at the same time as he built his 'country' retreat of Edgewarebury House. His penchant for half-timbering can clearly be seen on the still existing building, now The Manor Hotel. It seems he had a supply of timber left over and persuaded the Vicar of Elstree, Richard Eales, to let him use it on existing buildings on the High Street.  It could well be that the buildings he renovated were left over from Elizabethan times, but they were probably 18th Century. As a side note he used up the rest of his timber on a pub called the Duke of Marlborough somewhere on 'suicide' corner. We have never found the location of this pub, although mentioned in Wyn Everitt's biography. Any ideas?

The 1948 Olympic Marathon passes The Old Houses

The Old Houses in Elstree were demolished in the 60s and replaced by a particularly undistinguished block of flats and shops. But we have plenty of photos of them and of Sir Trevor's cortege passing down the hill in 1931 on the way to Elstree Churchyard.  You shouldn't believe your eyes sometimes - like his buildings Sir Trevor was not what he seemed.

The Old Houses in the 60s