Most of the land Molewood estate is built on was bought by builder Hubert Leach from the Bengeo Club in 1960. This newspaper article from October 1960 records that in less than ten minutes the club’s finances went from a deficit of £49 to a healthy surplus of £98,000.
What we now know as the Bengeo Club was the Bengeo Working Men’s Club back then. They had bought the 10.3 acre plot for £950 only six years earlier from the estate of Squire Parker. Does anyone know anything about him?
The land had been used by 83 allotment-holders who were given a year’s notice to vacate after the sale. Does anyone know any of them? Got any stories or photos you’d like to share with other residents?
Read more about the early days of the estate and see some photos in the story ‘Know Your Onion Patch?’ in the special 50th anniversary edition of the Outlook.