Summerville, 91 Lime Walk
Summerville (now 91 Lime Walk, but numbered 53 until 1952) was one of the original houses in the south end of the street, which was laid out in the 1880s.
As the 1898 Ordnance Survey map of Headington (right) shows, it once stood in a market garden with one long glasshouse to the north and three adjacent ones to the south. At that time its next-door neighbours were the present 83/85 to the north and 109 to the south.
Rather surprisingly, while Woodbine Cottages next door and two of the houses opposite had pumps (marked P), this large market garden has no obvious water supply.
The above postcard shows Summerville in c.1900.
The gap to the left is now occupied by 87 and 89 Lime Walk,
but was then the yard of Daniel Goodgame,
who lived at what is now No. 85.
The writing on his outhouse reads "D. Goodgame carman"
Valters' 1887 directory shows the florist George Coombes living at Summerville House in Highfield. He was still there at the time of the 1891 census, aged 32, with his wife Ellen and children Stanley (8), Lionel (4), and Marjorie (2). Born in Broughton in Gloucestershire, he was self-employed and had no other staff in his flower nursery.
By 1894 John Robert Mattock (1863–1937), son of the famous rose-grower John Mattock of Windmill Road, was running his own business as a a florist at Summerville House, and he is described as an employer. On 2 June 1892 he had married the Mistress of Headington National School girls' section, Elizabeth Drake, and they had their first two children in this house: Gladys Helen and John William, baptised at St Andrew's Church on 4 July 1897 and 30 November 1898 respectively.
The 1901 census shows John R. Mattock (39) and his wife still living in Summerville House with their two young children. But soon after this John came back to work for his father, building a new house for himself and his wife at 90 Windmill Road.
Soon after this the house ceased to be a nursery and became a private house. Nos. 87/89 Lime Walk were built on its land to the north, and Nos. 95 and 97 to the south.
By 1913 Summerville was occupied by Joseph Draper, who retired there after running the post office and baker's shop at the Lime Walk crossroads. Mrs Draper is listed as the occupant from 1919, and she remained in the house until 1927.
From 1928 Summerville was occupied by William Tomlins. He was still there in 1935, when a Miss D. Tomlins ACRM is listed as a teacher of music. By 1947, the house was occupied by Mrs and Miss Tomlins, who are still listed there in 1968.
No one is listed at the house in 1970, and in 1972 it was occupied by William F. Busby.
On 8 August 1983 planning permission was granted for 95 and 97 Lime Walk (which had been built in Summerville's garden to the south) to be demolished to provide an entrance road to Cecil Sharp Place, which was to be built on the old allotments that lay behind Summerville..
In 2007 MKD Property Developments submitted a planning application to demolish Summerville at 91 Lime Walk and replace it with 4 x 2 bed flats (fronting Cecil Sharpe Place) and a terrace of 3x3 bed dwellings (fronting Lime Walk), but it was turned down at the North-East Area Committee meeting in May 2008.
