whitefields/uplands | I knew I should've turned the gas off
12|02|05

Uplands is set to be demolished, and the site, along with Whitefields will be cleared. St. John's wishes to build a new hotel at this location.

Unlike many of the buildings I've visited, I didn't really mind. Uplands' day was over, and the house although interesting for a morning, was hardly worth saving.

It was an interesting diversion before embarking on bigger things!

But if anyone knows the truth about these houses, and what happened to them, then please get in touch. After all the tales of money and lost love, it could've been as simple as someone simply leaving the gas on.

© Simon Cornwell 2005



"In 1875 [Walter Gaskell] married Catherine Sharpe Parker. They had four daughters and a son, named John Foster Gaskell, in honor of Michael Foster. The family settled near Cambridge where he remained for the rest of his life, residing first at Grantchester and later at Great Shelford, where he built a hilltop home - The Uplands - opposite the hill on which stood Michael Foster's home."

"During his youth, he engaged in rowing, cricket, tennis and swimming. Later he enjoyed yachting, fishing, whist and bridge. Throughout life, he always took a somewhat leisurely course during both work and play activities. His main hobby was gardening, and he converted a large area of his 15 acres of sloping hillside at Great Shelford into a charming terraced garden."

Walter Gaskell And The Understanding Of Atrioventricular Conduction And Block.



"My Aunty and Uncle, together with my cousins, lived in Whitefields for many a year. Some of your theories are correct and some are not. My uncle was a self-made millionaire who made his money in the electronics industry - that part is correct. My Aunty died there in 1986 and he and my cousins carried on living there till eventually my cousins got married and moved abroad but one still lives in Hinton Way. He remarried and moved to Germany where he then lived until last year. My cousin looked after the house with his wife and kids whilst trying to find a buyer, but the place was falling into disrepair and very expensive to run and they mostly lived in five rooms. A buyer was found - the university - and it went through and my cousin moved out and into his house in Hinton Way. Then vandals and kids loitering caused minor fires and were a nuisance till one day a major fire took hold and did major structual damage and was then it was earmarked for demolition like Uplands which the university was going to do anyway. The pictures bring back bitter-sweet childhood memories: I swam in the swimming pool, the house insides were state of the art for their time (which was the late 1980s) which was the last time I visited. I always said I would love to go back but now demolished would be sad."

"The rubble you walked through showed the pink brick. My Uncle painted it when he spent thousands doing it up, it was originally white.I have original pictures somewhere of the house, swimming pool, insides and the manicured gardens, dell and woodlands. It's such a shame. I hope this has put the story to bed so to speak."

Mr. Stewart
2nd August 2013



Figure #38: Uplands | Exteriors