Harrisons Meadow

Harrisons Meadow and Cottage

A short history of the site

There seems to be some confusion as to the true area and extent of Harrison's Meadow. Study of old maps reveal the field boundaries in the 1800s. What is certain is the land where both Harrison’s Meadow and cottage stood were registered on the enclosure map as belonging to Morse the Younger. Prior to the enclosures, there is a considered opinion in past centuries the area may have been crossed by a route taken by travellers to the ferry at Horning. It is suggested many of these travellers were enroute to St. Benets Abbey before it’s disolution in the 1530’s. The actual date when this land became part of the Gurney Estate has yet to be discovered but the area around Harrison's Cottage appears to have been leased to the Harrison family hence the name of both the cottage and adjacent meadows.

The Meadow and Sprowston Sports

The name Harrison's Meadow became synonymous with sport within the parish of Sprowston as many of the old records show, prior to the opening of the Sprowston Recreation Ground in the early 1930s both football and cricket were played on Harrison's Meadow. The problem arises as to where the actual site of this was in all probability brought about by the now Sprowston Sports and Social Club playing fields. One must question if this was the site of the football and cricket pitch as early maps show a track going directly over this land to Harrison's Cottage. To add further to the confusion photographs of early sports teams seem to be taken with a sizeable wood behind the team being photographed which means one must consider it was the area adjacent to the bend in Laundry Lane (see map).

Harrison's Cottage

The cottage was of considerable antiquity appearing as it did on the Blackwell estate map of 1770 when two properties appear on the plot. Both were still extent during the tenure of the Gurney family who used the properties for their workers. The second property was demolished during a rationalisation leaving only Harrison's cottage in its isolated position being lived in by the gamekeeper and his family. Just a study of the property revealed how alterations had taken place over the centuries and may have evolved from what had originally been a small wattle and daub cottage similar to the one that survived on the Wilkes farm until the site was cleared for redevelopment in the 1960s. The cottage appeared on the Gurney list as dwelling number 17 and undergone considerable alterations both layout and to raise the roof during its life. Study of the chimneys would suggest that one is far older and could quite well be the original (the one on the right hand side looking from the front elevation) being far newer were probably added during alterations.

Demolition of the Cottage

In the early 2000s this whole area of Sprowston was earmarked for further housing development and in the early 2010s this became a reality and is at present continuing apace. Unfortunately, Harrison's cottage did not fit into the overall plan so in December 2016 the demolition contractors moved in and within 24 hours another old building had disappeared from Sprowston's landscape.

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  Detail of Blackwell Map 1770
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  Detail of Morse Map 1785
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  Detail of enclosure map 1801
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  Front elevation in the cottages final years.
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  Floor plan detail A
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  Harrisons Cottage Demolition about to commence December 2016
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  Map showing where sport was played prior to 1930.