Wellington House, East Road, Cambridge

History of Wellington House

According to F T Unwin, known as “Stink and Whiff.”

19 November 1919
F. Winton Smith’s new food factory, Wellington House, East Road – detailed feature article – 19 11 19a ; formally opened – 19 11 26b
Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge East Road Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, references 19 11 19a and 19 11 26b.

1952
Crowds lining Parker’s Piece saw a free but unofficial rodeo with policemen in the role of cowboys. Three crossbred steers on their way to the killing pens escaped from Winton Smith’s slaughterhouse in East Road, Cambridge. Off they went with the slaughterhouse men in pursuit. On the Piece they charged about for half an hour. Police formed a barricade but one of the animals charged a sergeant and chased a motorcycle. When they were finally cornered a lady in a red dressing gown opened her door and put out a bowl of water for them.
Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge East Road Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, reference 1952.

3 June 1959
Winton-Smith, the Cambridge butchers, have been looking for a site for a new, modernised slaughterhouse to replace the one they own in East Road. They have chosen a site in Haslingfield but there are objections from residents and so a public inquiry was held.
Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge East Road Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, reference 59 06 03.

8 July 1961
By 1966 it is hoped that the new trunk-road linking the main Cambridge-London and Cambridge-Newmarket Roads will have been fully operational for some years. East Road would then be carrying about 1,000 vehicles an hour and Winton-Smith applied to build a petrol station in place of their slaughter house. But planners told an Inquiry that it would interfere with the free flow of traffic and cause confusion for motorists
Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge East Road Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, reference 61 07 08.