Welland has had three vicarages.

The Old Vicarage

The oldest of the three still stands in Welland Court Lane (see map). Grade II listed, it is believed to date from the early 17th century, with timber framing later encased in brick (see Historic England entry). From about 1839 it was occupied by the curate of the day rather than the vicar. By 1881 it was no longer a vicarage. The Docker family were living there and continued to do so until at least 1939.

Welland House Care Centre

In 1880 a substantial vicarage was built on glebe land on Marlbank Road, within a few minutes’ walk of the new St James Church (see map). This house remained the vicarage until the end of the incumbency of the Revd Josiah W Coombes, vicar of Welland 1926 – 1942.

The building was used as a remand home from 1943 to the 1970s and is now Welland House Care Centre. Eight houses have been built along the drive, forming Lime Grove.

Rear view of the vicarage, date unknown. Courtesy of the late Mary Purser

Sunny Bank

Directly opposite Lime Grove is a large house built around 1950. This served as Welland’s third vicarage until 1974. For most of that time it was lived in by the Revd Cyril Kay, vicar of Welland 1954 – 1974, and his wife, Jessie. During their time the house still backed on to fields, now the Giffard Drive estate.

This third vicarage had a very large garden with tennis courts and lots of lavender and roses. Revd Kay used to have parties every summer for the Sunday school children with tennis, croquet and board games. Fetes were held there and the Revd Kay also put on Punch and Judy shows. More conventionally, confirmation classes were held at the house.

The house was sold after the Kays left and Welland then ceased to have a vicarage. In the 2010s, the plot was divided in two. The original house, extended since the Kays’ occupation, is now Sunny Bank, and another house has been built behind it.

Thanks to Gwyneth Gill for her memories of this vicarage and the Kays.