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Louth Museum

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Painting of The Hill, home of the Allison family of Louth

by Ruth Gatenby

The Hill

The Hill

Proposed bypass 1964

Proposed bypass 1964

The museum has acquired at auction a small watercolour painting of a large house in Crowtree Lane.  It is now Louth Golf Club, and was formerly “The Hill”, home of the Allison family.

The Hill is one of the oldest properties in Crowtree Lane.  Town clerk, Thomas Faulkner Allison and his family lived here for several decades in the 19th century.  At the beginning of the 20th century, the residents were Philip Allison (son of T F Allison) and his wife Janet (née Sharpley).  Philip was a well-respected solicitor, latterly in the firm Allison & Helmer.  The painting is undated, but probably shows the house in the late 19th or early 20th century.  Our painting is signed by the artist, Stella Sharpley, who was a sister of Mrs Janet Allison.

The Allison family sold the house and surrounding land in July 1964.  Rather to my surprise, the sale map of the property shows what was then the proposed route of the Louth bypass very close to the house!  The grounds were speedily developed into a golf course, which opened on Saturday 5 June 1965.