213 Mill Road, X20/218, Courtesy of Cambridgeshire Archive Services

213 Mill Road, Danesbury House, Dutch’s Corner, Cambridge

History of 213 Mill Road

1913: Danesbury House

Joseph Twinn

6 April 1957 – At a planning inquiry into a proposed petrol filling station at the junction of Mill Road and Ross Street, objectors argued there was no need for another garage and feared increased traffic, noise and petrol fumes in what was predominantly a residential area. (Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 6 April 1957.)

23 May 1957 – Messrs C. Holland won their appeal to build the petrol filling station at the corner of Ross Street and Mill Road. The decision recognised the growing demand for local motoring services in the expanding eastern suburbs of Cambridge. (Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 23 May 1957.)

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1962

C Holland and Sons, yeast merchants

Dutch’s Corner (F Holland propr.) motor agents and dealers

Dutch’s Corner was named after Frank ‘Dutch’ Holland, WWII RAF veteran who lived at the site and ran the business. In the 50s and 60s he recalls in his autobiography ‘D-Day Plus One’, pub.2007, living there with his parents, two siblings and his aunt Hilda.

When Frank came out of the RAF in 1945 he decided to join the family firm. he persuaded his father to hand pass the business on to his two sons, Frank and Fred. The two brothers built a warehouse behind the house at 213. They wanted to expand the bakery side of their business but the rationing of fat and sugar was a problem. They got round this problem by importing from Belgium “Sweetfat” which was not covered by the rationing scheme.

By 1953 Frank was sole owner of the business. He expanded his operations by getting permission to knock down one of the houses in front of the warehouse in order to put a Texaco petrol station. He also started a concession for the agents for Morris cars, King and Harper’s.

In 1966 he set up a second petrol station at Turpin’s Corner, Frank was unable to get support from Texaco for a self service petrol station; the company believed that self service would never take off in the UK.

17 January 1975 – Holland Motors was identified as one of Cambridge’s cheapest petrol retailers, second only to the newly opened Sainsbury’s filling station in Coldham’s Lane. The article illustrates the increasingly competitive fuel market during the 1970s. (Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 17 January 1975.)

30 March 1977 – Holland Motors experienced a surge in customers as motorists rushed to buy petrol before a Budget price rise. Long queues stretched along Mill Road as drivers competed for the remaining fuel supplies. (Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 30 March 1977.)

8 September 1982 – Frank Holland Motors celebrated twenty-five years in business. Founded with the Hillman and Sunbeam franchises, the company later became distributors for Simca and expanded into Coldham’s Lane. The business also introduced the Holland Hyperwash, a modern car wash capable of handling sixty vehicles an hour. (Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 8 September 1982.)

2020

More recently the site has been occupied by the Cambridge Bed Centre, although it is earmarked for redevelopment as housing.