Conservation – Gwydir Street | Capturing Cambridge

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J. C. Mumford grocer & tea dealer Huntley & Palmers biscuits packaging paper found under the floorboards at 125 Gwydir Street. Image courtesy Gwydir Street Friends.

Conservation – Gwydir Street

Here are some examples of how the local community are conserving Gwydir Street's cultural heritage

Residents are on the look out for artefacts in their houses (including some surprising discoveries under the floorboards e.g. at number 125) and gardens (where former residents would sometimes throw out things they didn’t want but couldn’t easily get rid of or burn old uniforms).

“There is a dead cat buried under the floorboards. We didn’t put it there (or kill it!) but we found it during renovations of our house. Apparently it is a thing people did in the past to ward off evil spirits.” – a resident’s message for future residents

Here’s some examples of artefacts found on Gwydir Street at number 7 and number 127. Both households found uniform buttons at the bottom of their gardens and using the census data and other records were able to connect the artefacts with their former Victorian occupants who would have worked at the old Post Office on the street and as a local police constable.

Archaeological dig finds on Gwydir Street. Credit – This Is Our Street! & Gwydir Street Friends 2024

A small scale archaeological dig was undertaken by residents in a Gwydir Street garden on a sunny day in March 2024. Alongside an array of broken ceramic pieces, there were some larger metal artefacts found. Why not gather your friends, family and neighbours and have a dig in your garden to see what you might find!

Bryan Sentance shop fascia mural at 80 Kingston Street

Residents noticed that a gate door much loved by locals and visitors with a painting of a tiger on by artist Bryan Sentance (who was working as a sign writer and mural painter in Cambridge in the 70’s & 80’s and also painted the mural on the shop facia at 80 Kingston Street) was being thrown out in a skip during renovation work in March 2024. It was swiftly rescued and options are being explored to find it a new home.

Gwydir Street Roll on Blank Tapes shop sign is removed – 2024. Image @rollonblanktapes

The iconic and mysterious old Roll on Blank Tapes shop on Gwydir Street made the news as it went to auction and sold for £184,000 in March 2024. The building was home to the first dinky door (no longer there) and previously the site of The Old Post Office, owned at one time by Miss Flood and closed in the 80’s. The idea for Roll On Blank Tapes was born in 1991 by former owner Philip Gee and former manager Ian Arbery. The new owner is carefully documenting and preserving things. Follow the updates on Instagram.

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