Unless you are a fairly recent newcomer to Marlow you will remember that The Plough public house used to stand between Wycombe Road and Little Marlow Road, facing down Glade Road.

The site is now occupied by the Glade View apartments, shown in the first recent picture.

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However I doubt if there is anyone still around who has memories of the elegant but very unusual dwelling that once stood alongside, on what is now just a raised grassy triangle at the road junction.

This was Prospect House, a square brick building but with a wedge shaped projection on pillars facing West, and it is marked on the 1909 Ordnance map, inserted. The centre insert is from a Marlow Directory of a similar year.

This was the home of the Sparks family who appear in each one of three postcards that I have. These date from the early 1900s and are in black and white (monochrome, if you’re posh) but I have done my best to add a dash of colourisation.

Top right is the work of one of the town’s lesser known professional photographers, Mr J.G.Badger, listed in the 1904 Marlow Directory as living at “Lulworth” Glade Road. “Lulworth” can now be found in Claremont Road, but it should be remembered that back in those days this was just a rough and unnamed track, so Off Glade Road would probably have been a more correct address.

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Mr Badger later moved to “Glade Nook” in the newly developed Claremont Gardens area. Other signed photos by him include views of the Marlow Street Fairs.

The other two cards are embossed with the trade mark of Frank Colville, photographer of 62, High Street, a camera shop for almost all of the last Century, but with various proprietors.

Bottom left is the south side of Prospect House, and if you want to get your bearings correct, the brick pillar visible on the left of this view can still be seen at the top of Glade Road by Cedar House.

All these three postcards give the impression that the Sparks were a wealthy family. A servant can be seen, lower right. The projecting part of the house is now creeper covered. I wish I could provide a date when this distinguished building was demolished, but sadly not. I am sure it did not exist in my time.

Possibly its enforced demise related to road and junction widening and increasing motor traffic along both sides, and whose vision would have been blocked by the walls of Prospect House.

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You seem to like vintage aerial views: I have found another good one for you next week.

Contact Michael at michael@jazzfans.co or 01628 486571