Bourn Hall (RGL2023)

Bourn Hall, Bourn

History of Bourn Hall

Listed building

Small country house. Dated ‘1602 H IF’ on rainwater heads, built for John and Frances Hager, possibly including part of an earlier building. Considerably altered in 1817-19 by John Aday Repton with features introduced from Haslingfield Hall (demolished 1814-1818) for John and Elizabeth Sackville-West, fifth Earl De La Warr. Internal courtyard reputed to have been enclosed in C19 by Norman Shaw (1881-1912).

Stable block. Early C17 with C19 alterations and restoration, and C20 alterations.

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8 November 1978

Bourn Hall could soon be the world’s first test tube baby clinic. Cambridge physiologist Dr Robert Edwards and gynaecologist Mr Patrick Steptoe, who pioneered the first test tube baby birth in Oldham, have been looked for a suitable based in the Cambridge area. Now an investment company has applied for consent to change the use of the Hall from residential into a private clinic. It has been the home for the past 20 years of Coun Peter King, a leading expert on the restoration of old buildings. — Mike Petty, Bourn Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

11 July 1980

Britain’s first test-tube baby clinic at Bourn Hall will open its doors to patients at around £1,000 a time in the autumn. The Tudor mansion is now owned by Dr Bob Edwards and Mr Patrick Steptoe in partnership with a London financial expert who bought it from Associated Newspapers, owners of the ‘Daily Mail’. The 50-roomed house will be the patients’ living quarters and tests carried out in five luxury Portacabins. 80 07 11a — Mike Petty, Bourn Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

23 June 1983

Peter King is probably best known for his 36 controversial years as a local councillor and for the sale of his home, Bourn Hall, for use as a test tube baby clinic. But his toughest fight began when it was discovered that he had cancer. ‘Old King’ comes from the background of generations of small, highly independent family builders in Caxton. When he told his 97-year-old aunt that he was suffering from the disease she told him “We’ll you’ll just have to pull yourself together”. Her reaction, and the fact that he laughs whenever he retells the story, gives some idea of the spirit in which his battle against the disease has been conducted. 83 06 23 p22 — Mike Petty, Bourn Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

3 October 1983 — scrapbook heading; reference dated 1980

Councillors are horrified at the state of Bourn Hall, the Tudor mansion which is being converted into a test-tube baby clinic. Ugly metal cowls have been placed over chimneys, an old wall has been demolished and the grounds spoiled by ugly Portakabins. But these are not permanent fixtures and will only be used until renovations can be carried out on the hall when money is available. 80 10 03a — Mike Petty, Bourn Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

30 April 1987

Test-tube baby land is enjoying a new boom. As more desperate childless couples flock to the world-famous Bourn Hall infertility clinic so the demand for accommodation has become tremendous. More than 40 local villagers and at least 100 residents within a five-mile radius have gone into the bed-and-breakfast business. Farm buildings, outhouses and spare bedrooms are being converted into cost motel-like rooms, charging a top whack of £20 a night for a double. Many people come from abroad and stay for up to two months. 87 04 30 — Mike Petty, Bourn Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

31 December 1987

Bourn Hall test-tube baby centre has 1,000th baby on Boxing Day – 87 12 28c; pioneers Steptoe & Edwards get CBEs, 87 12 31 — Mike Petty, Bourn Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

23 March 1988

Mr Patrick Steptoe was part of a team led by Dr Robert Edwards at Cambridge University who in 1970 successfully removed an egg from an ovary and fertilised it in a test tube with sperm. Then in July 1978 came the birth of the first test-tube baby, Louise Brown. A year later work was under way to convert Bourn Hall into the world’s first text-tube baby clinic. Now more than 1,000 children are alive thanks to his research. He was awarded a CBE and won prestigious prizes but his best memorial will be to ensure that research continues, said MP Robert Rhodes James. His funeral will take place at Bourn church. 88 03 23 — Mike Petty, Bourn Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

25 July 1988

Bourn Hall test-tube baby clinic bought by Swiss company – 88 07 25 — Mike Petty, Bourn Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

15 March 1990

A baby has been born to a surrogate mother after treatment at Bourn Hall Clinic and another is expected soon. The news coincides with B.M.A. official backing for the first time to this method of test-tube fertilisation. Bourn’s medical director welcomes the ruling as it confirms what they believed, that people without wombs should be helped to give birth by a sister or close friend. He stressed they would not countenance any kind of commercialisation. 90 03 15 — Mike Petty, Bourn Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.