MEMORIES and stories of Cleeve House in Seend are needed to ‘breathe more life’ into its history.
Miriam Zaccarelli, daughter of the current owners said, “Since guests at the house are always curious about its history, I am compiling a set of stories and memories of Cleeve House and I wonder if any of your readers would like to help.
“Originally built in 1853 as a family home for Wadham Locke IV, Cleeve House was enhanced by William Heward Bell in 1883, and extended again in 1907 when his son Clive Bell married Vanessa Bell. In 1960 the Bells left, and the house changed hands a few times before being bought by the Unification Church in 1974.
“My parents started the business here in 2004, and over the years we have met people with various connections to the house, in all its many stages and uses. We know the main dates and details of the history, but we want to breathe more life into it so we are looking for people with a Cleeve House tale to tell. If anyone is interested, we would love to hear your memories, which you can either write or simply share over the phone, or better still, over a cup of a tea by the fireplace in the Great Hall.
“As well as being a wonderful opportunity to meet people connected to the house, we hope to gradually fill in the historical facts with some real life experiences of people who were here.
“Anything will be appreciated, from distant connections to the Wadham Lockes or the Bell family, right up until stories of recent weddings or celebrations that have taken place at Cleeve House. The idea is to put everything together in a book so that the full rich history of this beautiful house can be kept and celebrated for years to come.”
Contact miriamzaccarelli@gmail .com, call or text 07865 065925 or drop in to Cleeve House, Seend, SN12 6PG.
