Cliff+Cottage

Cliff Cottage in the 1820s

The above sketch (Suffolk Record Office, Lowestoft) by Richenda Cunningham, shows Cliff Cottage (aka Sparrow's Nest) as it appeared in 1821. The cliff at this time was a treeless extension of the common land, upon which Bellevue Park was subsequently developed, and from which it was separated by a fence erected at the cliff edge. It appears that only the southern gable end had been 'gothified', suggesting that the property was originally an artisan dwelling and part of 'the fishermen's village' which occupied land to the south east.

Judging by the growth of trees, the next sketch (Suffolk Record Office, Lowestoft) was made by Richenda Cunningham in 1842. The cottage had been greatly enlarged and further gentrified with an ornamental balcony and a landscaped garden.

The cottage was occupied by the Royal Navy during the 2nd World War, when additional buildings were added. After the War it came into the ownership of the local authority who demolished it as part of the plan to turn its gardens into a civic amenity, which remains as an extension of Bellevue Park today. The following photograph from the Lowestoft Journal was taken in 22nd November, 1963.