SLHS: Elizabeth House

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

To return to Master page click on ‘Councils’ above.

15 Church Street

Dr Henry Ross

For hundreds of years Church Street must have been flanked with half timbered buildings of the era -many of which must have burnt down in the Stratford Fires.

In 1911 Dr Henry Ross had a very luxurious two storey, neo-classical home built, with a dormer attic room, designed by Stratford Architect Albert Calloway.

Maugersbury House  mid 1910s

In 1972 the Thatcher Government passed the Local Government Act set out to replace somewhat inefficient rural district councils with a new larger autonomous tier of district government.

The new Stratford District Council replaced Alcester Rural District Council, Shipston-on-Stour Rural District Council, Southam Rural District Council, Stratford-on-Avon Rural District Council and Stratford-upon-Avon Municipal Borough Council.

This monster had a temporary home but eventually, in 1982 the NFU building was bought.

Elizabeth House

Following a two-and-a half year conversion, with disabled facilities throughout, it was reopened by the Queen Mother and given the new name in her honour.

Elizabeth House  April 2024

Proposed KES Sixth Form College

Over recent decades the academic success of KES School has attracted more and more pupils. Such is this expansion that they have had to introduce an increased number of classes putting considerable pressure on the current buildings off nearby Chapel Lane.

In 2023 KES took out a 25 year lease for the use of Elizabeth House’s second floor by their Sixth Form. Furthermore in the agreement if SDC decide to vacate the premises then KES have asked for the option to take over the whole building (see Further Information below).

Maugersbury House

In 1908 farming was going through the longest deepest recession in its history and so in Smithfield, London, in order to petition against imports of cheap grain and frozen meat flooding in from abroad The National Farmers’ Union was formed.

In 1920 the NFU were looking for new headquarters and bought the building. In 1927 they considerably extended it to the left.

Doubled In Size

Looking at the modern photograph (below) one can see the original house to the right (marked between the two orange lines). The porch and two bay windows from the original house (right) have been kept. Above this an extra curved roof dormer has been added. Then the whole is mirrored (extending it to the left to the blue line). To this a grand porch in the middle, flanked by two Doric columns and a balcony in the middle has been added. If you look carefully it seems that they couldn’t make up their mind whether the new dormers should have little pitched rooves or not.

Doubled In Size Again

In 1957, with the overwhelming success of the NFU they took down another building, further to the left, and doubled its size once more. This time two entrances were added with two balconies and three Doric columns. Instead of mirroring what went on before the architect chose to alternate the pattern of bay windows and stucco flat walls presumably to provide two more ordinary entrances at the very left hand end.

National Farmers Union

The new NFU Headquarters

Tiddington

First Floor Now Unused

In the last 15 years there has been downward pressure on all UK councils. SDC have undergone many reorganisations and efficiency drives. Much of their necessary administration has been moved online. Even planning consent is handled that way now.

During the Covid19 pandemic many staff worked from home. This has been maintained to such and extent that some of the ground floor is already sublet and the whole second floor is no longer used.

NFU Even Bigger

At the end of the 1970’s the NFU started construction of massive new offices in Tiddington, just East of Stratford (below right). In 1982 this was completed and they vacated the premises.

Stratford District Council