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24 Ferry Path 201924 Ferry Path, Chesterton
History of 24 Ferry Path
1939 National Register
Charles Brown, b 1874, builder’s labourer
Kate Brown, b 1870
Arthur N Kirkbride, b 1901, house decorator
Phyllis Eva Kirkbride, b 1903
Joan M Kirkbride, b 1932, at school,
[Beryl Kirkbride b 1936]
Kate Brown at 24 Ferry Path c.1948 (family photo)
1962 – 1970
Robert Peatman
24 Ferry Path 2019
In 2023 BCM sent this email about Ferry Path and no.24:
Beryl’s grandparents, Charles and Kate Brown, moved to 24 Ferry Path from Sheffield around 1920. They had three children, Walter the eldest who stayed in Sheffield, Eva and Jesse her younger brother who moved with their parents. John Brown, my great uncle was already living there so they joined him. He lived at 24 Ferry Path til he died in 1943.
In 1930 Eva married Arthur Kirkbride and they moved to Ramsden Square. In 1933 or so they moved back to Ferry Path with their two daughters, Joan b. 1932, and Beryl b. 1936.
In 1939 war broke out, Arthur was called up into the RAF, and Eva and the two girls lived at Ferry Path throughout the war. Eva worked at Pyes factory (munitions and radar), and was an Air Raid Warden at night.
In 1948 Arthur, Eva, Joan and Beryl moved to 20 Maitland Avenue in Cambridge. Kate and Charles lived at 24 Ferry Path til Kate’s death in 1956. Shortly after, Charles went to live with son Jesse on Lovell Road (81) off Milton Road. Charles died there in 1958.
Beryl’s memories of 24 Ferry Path are very happy ones despite it being war time. She often walked down to the river to watch the boats. At other times she and her friends walked across Pretoria Road bridge to Midsummer Common and also to Jesus Green to play.
No bombs fell during WWII on Ferry Path directly, but one did fall at the top of the street making a big crater in Chesterton Road.
Ferry Path was just a quiet pedestrian path, and the houses fronted onto it. There was a back lane behind the homes. It was a friendly place to live; the neighbours were all close, and during the war they all helped each other out.
Beryl remembers Mrs. Stanley next door at #23, who ran shop nearby. At 25 Ferry Path there was a middle aged couple called Mr and Mrs Green. They were very friendly and she says they often talked over the garden wall. She also remembers Rita and Betty Brown from #22 as they were the same age as Beryl and Joan, so often all played together.
At 27 Ferry Path was Mr and Mrs Bye. During the ward they took care of a child evacuee, Dorothy, from London. At 26 Ferry Path was Mr and Mrs Matthews.
Twenty-eight Ferry Path was a big house, used as a boarding house for Cambridge University undergrad students. Banhams Boat yard was beyond #28.
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