Ryde Social Heritage Group research the social history of the citizens of Ryde, Isle of Wight. Documenting their lives, businesses and burial transcriptions.
RYDE SOCIAL HERITAGE GROUP
Based at Ryde Cemetery Heritage & Learning Centre. Preserving, documenting and promoting the social history of Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
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Ryde Architecture

Homestead, Monkton Street 2013

THE HOMESTEAD
Monkton Street, Ryde

The Property, Homestead, Monkton Street, now a Grade ll listed building, a beautiful character villa with two stone dogs guarding the gateway. A nearby property in Rink Road called The Dell was a well-equipped hospital for animals known as Blake’s Veterinary Infirmary. There was also a family of blacksmiths employed at The Dell.

The occupiers of the Homestead, Monkton Street were the Blake family.  Mr. John Vickers Blake, veterinary surgeon, was a native of Crewkerne, Somerset. His father and grandfather were veterinary surgeons, and his son, Mr. J. Cowper Blake of Newport also followed that profession. John Blake qualified in 1867, and was one of the oldest practitioners in the United Kingdom. He first practised in Liverpool, where he married Miss Cowper, a descendant of William Cowper, the poet, and came to Ryde 56 years ago (c1873).

Mr Vickers Blake was veterinary surgeon to Osborne House and attended Queen Victoria’s numerous household pets and farm animals, dealing with the infamous John Brown on many occasions.

In his younger days he was a skilful horseman and won many races in Somerset. He was interested in all forms of manly sport. Amongst his activities in Ryde his organisation of the May horse shows will be remembered. At one time these were most interesting events, at which all the well-known local four-in-hand smartly equipped, made a fine display.

He was keenly interested in horticulture, his garden always being a picture of careful cultivation, and a clever caricaturist and oil-painter. His skill in his profession was widely recognised. He was an outstanding personality with many estimable qualities, including that of unostentatious benevolence, who had to be regarded as one of the Island’s “grand old men,” being still in active practice long after passing the allotted span. Mr Blake died 6 March 1929.  (More about Mr Blake here)

According to the local press, his daughters, the Misses Blake were members of the Westridge Golf Club when it first opened in 1895, and readily entered their competitions, so they were very sporting persons like their father.

Note:
A description of the property in 2013, gives these details:
Dating from 1840, Homestead has an attractive frontage graced by a beautiful ornate metal canopy with side trellising above the front door and period details, including fireplaces, sash windows, cornice, picture rail and a fine staircase with a decorative oak newel post.

In the 60ft-long lawned back garden with shrubs, climber-clad archways, a shed and Yorkstone patio area is a large sunny terrace.
Shrubs feature in the small front garden where steps with a decorative balustrade ascend to the period front door opening to the entrance hall. This has a door beneath the staircase leading to stairs down to the potential annexe.

Original cornice enhances the hall and the living room, with a long sash window to the front and rear and a feature fireplace with slate hearth. Bespoke cupboards with shelving above, in keeping with the property’s origins have been fitted to each side of the fireplace in this room, the dining room opposite, the family room and the downstairs sitting room.
The dining room has a long front window, picture rail and a handsome marble fireplace with cast iron inset.

The 22ft-long kitchen/family room has rear windows and a sitting area with a large open fireplace.  A half landing off the stairs to the first floor leads to a large bathroom, with a free-standing Victorian-style white ball and claw-foot bath and ornate period cast-iron fireplace.  The main landing leads to two spacious bedrooms. Bright bedroom one, with Solent views, has a period cornice, picture rail and fitted wardrobes. A cast-iron fireplace is the focal point of front-facing bedroom two.

Off the lower ground floor entrance hall is the potential annexe, comprising a bathroom, separate WC, front-facing bedroom four, bedroom five and the sitting room, with an original fireplace.  From this area a side door opens to the Yorkstone patio.

Sources: RSHG, & House Agent Advertisement
Image: RSHG
Article: Ann Barrett