 The story of the Old White Lodge The story of the lodge goes back to the days The Sycamores was built but it has been more difficult tracking information down. The lodge can be seen on all the maps shown in the history of The Sycamores section and indeed there was a cottage on the site of the lodge well before The Sycamores was built. 1842: The 1842 map of Farnborough Park showed two cottages (as did the 1830 map) located where the current lodge is situated and I would suppose these are the two cottages called 'Sycamore cottages' referred to in the 1871 census. We cannot be 100% sure that these are the right cottages but it is likely.
1871: It's interesting to see that this map clearly shows a single lodge so we assume one of the cottages was extended in the square lodge which forms the core of today's Old White Lodge. It was certainly a single story building and if it like other lodges in the area, it had a slate roof with a single chimney. In the Sycamore Cottages at this time lived William Brace 44, Coachman & Pensioner and his wife Catherine 66, William Bruane 40 gardener & domestic servant and his wife Martha 40 and their three sons Danny 16, James 11 and George 9.
1881: Living in the lodge is Charles Young 30, Mary Anne his wife 34 and Ada Leah 1 their daughter. Also living with them at this time is Charles Young's father, Charles 57 who is listed on the next page of the census.
1881 census for 'Sycamore Lodge' 1891: Living in the Lodge in 1891 was Charles Young 40, Mary Anne 44 his wife, Ada Leah 11 their daughter, Anne Elizabeth 11 and George 5 their son - a growing family! However, it looks like Charles's father had died by this time.
1901: Living in the lodge were George Marshall 52, Gardener and his wife Mary, 60.
1927: Mrs Carpenter (taught music at the college) lived in the Lodge according to a letter from Sister Josephine Shannon in 1997.
1932-33: In 1932 Henry Hilder applied to undertake a conversion of the single story lodge into a two storey house. Click on the picture below to see H H Hilder's 1932 conversion plans for the 'White Lodge'. The converted house is still very much as it was after this conversion in 2007. Clearly, obtaining planning permission was an easier task in 1932! Click on the title below to see the plans.
1936-39: Between 1936 and 1939 a Mrs Longhurst lived in the lodge according to Drews Aldershot & Farnborough Directory and the BT on-line phone books.
1944: Rev. Eric Esskildsen Yelverton lived in the White Lodge. There is no on-line directory for 1945.
1946: In 1946 we believe The White Lodge was rented by John Nurton and his wife by H H Hilder. The Times © shows the engagement and marriages of their children, Deidre and Michael. Mr Nurton changed the name of the house to Old White Lodge as there was another house known as the White Lodge on the same road we were told.
1948: The 1948 map shows the outline of the now extended Old White Lodge, known just as White Lodge then.
1956: F J Nurton buys the White Lodge. 1961: In 1961 the White Lodge was renamed Old White Lodge due to there being another house called White Lodge.
1968-72: Mr Nurton's children's engagements and marriages were announced in The Times ©:
1984: In 1984 The Old White Lodge was bought by the current occupants. 2007: We are pleased to say that unlike The Sycamores, the Old White Lodge is alive and well in the 21st century together with a new extension!
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