The Falcon, Cambridge

Falcon Yard, Petty Cury, Cambridge

History of Falcon Yard

Falcon Yard was a lane that ran from Petty Cury to St Tibb’s Row. The Falcon inn was in existence in the 16th century. Queen Mary saw ‘a play at the Fawcon Inn’ in 1557. Lord North stayed at the ‘Falcon’ during the reign of Elizabeth I.

1850 Morning Chronicle: 27.9.1850: Labour and the Poor

In many parts of the town of Cambridge the dwellings of the poor are also in the most disgraceful condition. I might refer to King street and the alleys leading therefrom, to Christ’s lane, and other places. But perhaps the worst of all is a place called Falcon yard. In one of the houses which I visited there were thirteen families residing. In a room on one of the floors lived a man, his wife, and five children. The eldest boy was sixteen years of age, the eldest girl, a little over fourteen, having been for several months a common prostitute, and three younger children, together with the parents, all slept in one and the same room: the eldest boy and girl and two other children in one bed on the floor, the father, mother, and one child, on a stump bedstead. The number of persons residing in this Falcon-yard, I was informed, was about 300. There are two privies for the use of the whole of the inhabitants, but as they are at a distance of about fifty yards from some portion of the premises, those of the inhabitants who have back windows to their rooms are in the habit of throwing all their refuse out of the windows on to a large dung-heap in the Red Lion-yard, the reeking steam from which is constantly penetrating the rooms. “Here,” said one of the inmates of this crowded and dirty yard, “this is my grand hole that I pays sixteen pence a week for – this is where me and my husband and daughters sleeps; the bed is about as big as an old pocket handkerchief. I have been here four and thirty years.” “I’ve got two rooms,” said another person, ” and here’s our bed-room,” opening at the same time a small door which led to a dark recess in which there was no window or light whatever. A piece of paper, however, was lighted, and I was then enabled to distinguish the form of a bedstead in one corner, and a heap of bed clothes on the floor in the opposite portion of this “black hole.” The “Falcon,” which gives its name to the yard was formerly a very extensive inn. There is an old-fashioned gallery which runs round the yard, and the different apartments round this gallery have been let off to lodgers at rents varying from 1s. 4d. to 2s. per week. Several of them are kept remarkably clean, considering the character of the place, but the majority are as wretched as it is possible to conceive. They are all of them very dark and ill-ventilated……

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1861

(12) Ralph Gravestock, 57, carpenter, b Beds
(11) William Coleman, 38, porter, b Suffolk
(10) William Arnold, 28, mail cart contractor PO, b Cambridge
(9) William Plane,  46, shoeing smith, b Norfolk
(8) George Jarvis, 41, bricklayer, b Cambridge
(7) John Greenwood, 33, b Cambridge
(6) Samuel Sharrocks, 39, hatter, b Nottingham
(5) Robert Dyer, 50, labourer and publican, b Cambridge
(27, 28, 29 Rooms)
Sarah Sayer, head, 59, shoe binder, b Fowlmere
Eliza Langran, head, 50, charwoman, b Cambridge

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1870

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1878 Kelly’s

William Goddard, whitesmith, Falcon Yard, Petty Cury

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Falcon Yard painted in 1902 by Margaret Wadsworth from an older image

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1903

Falcon Inn Yard: demolition — 11 August 1903

Sir – I believe a great number of antiquarians in Cambridge will learn with regret that the Falcon Inn Yard in Petty Cury has been removed to make way for modern improvements. So quietly has the old Falcon taken flight that I fear our local photographers have not secured pictures of the old buildings and its destruction has escaped even the lynx-eyed representatives of the Press. I am consoled that I have retained my water-colour drawing of this famous inn, which I made 25 years ago for ‘Old Cambridge’ – W.B. Redfern

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Petty Cury Scrapbook, 11 August 1903.

Falcon Inn: remaining buildings — 11 August 1903

Our attention has been drawn to the fact that another link with the fascinating past of Cambridge is being severed by the almost entire demolition of the one-time famous ‘Falcon Inn’. Many years ago the front of the building, with its fine old gables facing Petty Cury, disappeared and about eight years ago the buildings on the left side of the Falcon Yard were demolished to make way for business extensions. Now the rooms on the right side are in process of demolition for extra accommodation for the Lion Hotel. The back part possessing a small specimen of the open gallery remains

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Petty Cury Scrapbook, 11 August 1903.

Falcon Inn: Robert Farren’s drawings — 12 August 1903

Sir – the alarm about the old Falcon Inn, Petty Cury, being demolished unrecorded seems to me unnecessary. Certainly within the last 40 years I have sent out almost as many drawings of it, to say nothing of the etchings. It, with the old Wrestlers Inn, has been a small gold mine to me. One noticeable thing I might mention: it was the last inn to hang out a flag as a sign that the recruiting sergeant was at home – Robert Farren

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Petty Cury Scrapbook, 12 August 1903.

Falcon Inn site: J.V. Pryor’s ice factory — 28 August 1908

Great blocks of glittering, iridescent ice are manufactured on the site of the Falcon Inn, Petty Cury, every hot midsummer morning. Mr J.V. Pryor, the fish-monger has installed plant for this modern miracle and the shrill insistent note of the dynamo is joined by the plunk-plunk of the gas engine exhaust. Like the flying machine, the ice factory is at present only in its infancy and the plant is expensive but the method of manufacture is simplicity itself, taking 50 hours to produce slabs weighing two cwt apiece and makes more than Mr Pryor needs for his ordinary fish business.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Petty Cury Scrapbook, ref. CEN 08 08 28 p3.

Falcon Yard and old Petty Cury: Redfern’s watercolours — 19 March 1909

Mr W.B. Redfern’s unique collection of watercolour drawings of old Cambridge excited great interest. In 1875 he started to record places of bygone and antiquarian interest which but for his timely intervention would have been lost for ever. A good many had now entirely disappeared including two houses in Shelley Row which were the residence of Oliver Cromwell during the Civil War. They were panelled with two handsome fireplaces which he had moved to his own house. Old houses in Petty Cury were the most striking and perfect places which should never have been pulled down while parts of the Falcon Yard had remained until the last few years.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Petty Cury Scrapbook, ref. 09 03 19.

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1913

James Valentine Pryor, fishmonger, game dealer and ice merchant
Cury Chambers: Fenn D’Albani and Ellis solicitors
University Musical Club
University Boxing and Fencing Club
Back of YMCA
12,13,14 Roe Roger warehouse for furniture
The Falcon Ice Works
Lipton’s Stores

For Mary Greene’s description of Falcon Yard see her autobiography, The Joy of Remembering.

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1937

Falcon Ice Works (Mac Fisheries Ltd)
(17) British Legion
(17) Toc H

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1962

(5) Footlights Dramatic Club
(5) University Cruising Club
(2) Cambridge International Club

Local history study guide for schools – 1994