Malvin's Close, Cowpen

[blythboy]

A real photo postcard of Malvin's Close.

Thanks to Joan for sharing the image with me and letting me put it up on here for you all to enjoy.

P

This must be pre-war as their are iron railings as oppposed to the brick wall I recall from the mid 50s onwards. I still do not understand why the knocked this down, the farm , Fallowfield and Harpenden House, promised development and all that is their now is a metal fence with a builders name on it. Blyth institutional vandalism at its worst.

[TriciaK]

Yes there was a high wall, not railings, when I used to visit. Iron railings were often taken down during WW2 to be used for munitions etc.

[Middy]

My great grandfather Robert DAWSON, was chief engineer for the Cowpen Coal Company for many years and lived in Malvins Close.  I have a copy of a photograph of the house taken at that time.
Maurice Dawson

[jora]

Thank you for replying to my original request.

This is the family I am interested in.

I will send you a personal message.

[Middy]

Have you got my contact details?  I will be pleased to help as much as I can.  I've never used this form of communication before.

[local-lad]

I realise that this is an old post for information that I came across quite by accident.
I was the last owner of Malvins Close Care Home and it was me who sold it to property developers in 2004 which eventually saw it demolished in 2005. I had grand plans to build a new Care Home on the site of the Cottage and stable block. I battled with the council to get the planning permission and had intended to build the new home then convert the existing house up to the latest standards for homes and join the two together. Sadly the Care Home market took a bit of a dip and if I'd pursued this plan I would have lost everything. Eventually I was faced with a huge repair bill to re roof the house. The gardens were an ongoing money pit and there were new purpose built care homes in planning for the area. There was a problem recruiting the type of staff with the compassion to deliver great care to the elderly people we looked after and the Council fees were not keeping pace with the rising costs of running an efficient care home. I was approached by developers who offered me an alternative to developing the site myself. There's not a day goes by that I don't miss the Care Home, the excellent staff I had and the lovely people we had the opportunity to look after. I think I've still got a copy of the deeds for Malvins Close House, Malvins Close House East Wing and the Cottage and stables. If that would help with your research please let me know and I'll see what I can find. I know that I've got post cards from around 1993 and an aerial photo of the site from around the same year. I hope this helps.

[TriciaK]

That's interesting, local-lad. I had an idea that was why the house was demolished. I've sent a copy of your post to my sister who also used to visit.
Hope you're doing alright now.
Tricia.

[engineerbrian]

I can cofirm that my great great grandfather, Robert Dawson, lived at Malvins Close House until his death in June 1895   

[Middy]

My great grandfather was Robert Dawson who was the chief engineer for the Cowper Coal Company in Blyth. He lived in Malvinas House. My Grandfather was his son John who became the engineer at Noth Seaton colliery.
Maurice Dawson.