A House Through Time

Originally Fern-Lea’s Postal address was The Harlequin but the road changed its name to Grantham Road in 1929 with the creation of the A52. It would have had a panoramic view of the distant Malkin Hills but after the council houses were built in 1934 on the opposite side of the road the view became limited. Also from a rather sedentary traffic flow it now finds itself on the edge of the busy A52.

1889

Construction by the Upton Family

Fern-Lea was built in 1889 for the Upton family, a well-known local family of builders. William Upton, born in 1825 in Radcliffe on Trent, began his career as an apprentice bricklayer with John Squires in Cropwell Bishop. By 1861, William had become a master bricklayer employing ten men and two boys, and had built several houses in the village, including properties on Bailey Lane.

1879-1890

Move to London – Alexandra Cottages

In 1870, William and his family relocated to London to build the Alexandra Cottages in Penge, a model village of 100 semi-detached homes. During this time, the family lived at 39 Fernlea Road, Streatham — likely the inspiration for the name of their future Radcliffe home.

c.1890

Return to Radcliffe – Fern-Lea Occupied

Around 1890, the family returned to Radcliffe and moved into Fern-Lea, a six-roomed house with a garden on Grantham Road. By the 1891 census, daughter Mary Elizabeth was living there, with the front room adjoining the alley being a shop we believe she ran, while William remained working in London. That same year, Fern-Lea was the scene of a burglary by Arthur Bemrose, who had previously courted Mary Elizabeth. Pictured is the blocked up original doorway to the shop.

1898–Early 1900s

Family Loss and Inheritance 

William Upton died in 1899, a year after the death of his wife Mary Ann. Both are buried in the village cemetery. Their daughter Emma, a schoolteacher, inherited Fern-Lea. After her early death, the house passed to her husband William Upton of Cotgrave, and later to her sister Mary Elizabeth, who married Edward Green, a former Fern-Lea lodger and employee at Saxondale Hospital.

1921–1955

The Bemrose Family Era 

By 1921, William Bemrose, a farm labourer and widower of Harriet Hope, was living at Fern-Lea with his family. His son Ernest Neville “Tim” Bemrose lived there until enlisting in 1941 with the 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He was killed in Burma in April 1942 and is commemorated on the Rangoon Memorial and the Radcliffe War Memorial.

1962–2020

Healthcare Residents from Saxondale Hospital

Following the death of William Bemrose in 1955 and his widow Ethel’s departure in 1960, Fern-Lea was occupied by several medical professionals from Saxondale Hospital, including Maria Drudecke, Hildegard Maria Rex, and Ursula H. Kramer. Ursula Kramer remained at Fern-Lea until her death in 2020. During this period, the house was subdivided into two flats; one upstairs being accessed by the front door and one down, accessed from the rear through a lean-to wooden conservatory.

2020–2025

Restoration and Renewal

The house was sold in 2020 to Dr Henry Robins, and following his move to Australia in 2022, Fern-Lea stood empty and fell into disrepair. In March 2024, it was purchased by Matthew Douglas, Troy Jenkinson, and Lewis Mills — all parish councillors in Radcliffe on Trent.

They carried out a sympathetic restoration, modernising the property while retaining its character. Works included a new stained-glass front door, the reinstatement of the part missing original wooden entrance fretwork, and the rejuvenation of the gardens. The historic Fern-Lea name was also proudly reinstated.

Information from Marion Caunt, Radcliffe on Trent History Society.