It is unusual to find a round building – which is one reason Cambridge's Round Church stands out from the many other beautiful religious buildings in the city centre. Down a quiet street in a Cambridgeshire village, a round building has become part of a family home.
The Round House in Little Thetford is thought to date back to the late 15th century, according to the village website. The earliest-known reference to the Round House can be found in an insurance policy for the nearby Three Horseshoes pub.
At that time, the building was described as a dove house with a thatched roof. Most medieval dovecotes were circular, according to the National Trust, and they typically had pointed roofs – so you can see the resemblance to the Round House with its conical thatch.
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During the 19th century, James and Elizabeth Bullman lived in the Round House, where Elizabeth also gave birth to 13 children. Some of their children went to America where they became emigrant pioneers, while one son travelled to Australia during the gold rush.
A later resident of the Round House was Private Eric Dewsbury, who appealed against being conscripted in March 1916 because he said he was needed by his father and sister to earn a living for the household. His appeal was refused and he was killed in action in April 1917.
The house was used as two three-storey cottages until around 1959, when it was left empty for a while. During that time, it deteriorated, with the thatched roof near collapse.
It was renovated in 1970 by a couple who ran the Post Office, at that time located next door to the Round House. In more recent years, it has been renovated with a new thatching and an adjoining timber-framed building to become a family home.
