This house was built in 1818 by the town clerk of Southampton, Thomas Ridding, in plain Georgian style on the site of the town brickworks. The town's official brick maker had lived and worked on this site from the 16th century until c.1814. Although named Hawthorn Cottage it was obviously a substantial country house. John Ransom, a local shipbuilder, lived here from 1851 until his death in 1886. The house was badly damaged during the war and demolished in 1946 (see clipping below). A small zoo was established by the Chipperfield family on the site for a time. It is now the site of Hawthorns Wildlife Centre.
Hawthorn Cottage, The Common
Photograph, 1941
Newspaper clipping:
Further reading:
Southampton Common, by C. S. Thompson (ed), p8-11. (HS/ll)
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