Walnut Tree Cottage

Life at Walnut Tree Cottage Denny Abbey Waterbeach Cambridge...

When the cottage adjacent to Denny Abbey was vacated five years or so ago, the Museum decided that it would make a perfect new display area. We are not sure of the exact history of the cottage, although it was built around an existing medieval wall. Thanks to those who have lived close to Denny for many years, we have been able to discover who used to live at the cottage throughout the 20th century. One particular 'farm boy' can remember the furnishings and decoration of a similar cottage on the farm, which has been invaluable in terms of creating our display. Therefore, we decided to date the cottage to the late 1940s. Since the Museum only employs one full time member of staff and one part time, we have relied heavily on our team of volunteers to undertake the work. First of all, the modern features of the interior were stripped out in the three principal downstairs rooms, to create a washroom, kitchen and living room. This meant the removal of the bathroom, the radiators and the kitchen units. Surfaces were then prepared for redecoration. Work has included the building of a new door, laying brick floors, stencilling wallpaper and building a copper in the washroom. Meanwhile, another dedicated volunteer is preparing the garden. More recently, work has concentrated on providing an outside privy which was completed in 2003 and there are plans to convert one of the untouched rooms into a separate temporary exhibition space with independent access.
If you would like any further information on this project, or would be interested in volunteering with us, please telephone the Museum on 01223 860988.