An iconic Stroud building which was once visited by Diana, Princess of Wales has been demolished.
Fern cottage on the Bath Road, has stood prominently at the former Daniels Industrial Estate for decades and is one of the best-known buildings on the site.
The building has also become closely associated with Meningitis Now, which has been based on the site for many years. The charity grew from a meningitis support movement established in the Stroud area before becoming a national organisation supporting people affected by meningitis.
Princess Diana visited the former Meningitis Now headquarters in Stroud in 1990, after being invited by Sue Neale, one of the charity’s founding members.
Sue has recalled the story behind the royal visit, including a particularly poignant moment when she sat down and wrote a letter to the mother of two young boys who lived nearby.
“I wrote this as Chairman of The National Meningitis Trust but more importantly I wrote it as a mother of a young child who had suffered from the illness.
“I asked if she could help us. The next day I took the letter to Jane Wells (co-founder) who duly typed it up properly. We then posted it to the mother in question – H.R.H Diana, Princess of Wales.
“The reply we received astounded us all. Princess Diana offered to take up the active role of President of The National Meningitis Trust. This was THE turning point.
“We now had total credibility. Our awareness campaign grew exponentially. Funding grew. We were able to take on more research commitments, we were able to help so many more people. We saved more lives and rebuilt more futures.
“For years hope sustained us as we formed this charity. It sustained me as a mother and as Chairman. I am more hopeful today than I have ever been. It is 40 years on and we have an incredible team at Fern House HQ of Trustees, Patrons, Ambassadors, staff members, volunteers and supporters.
“I know that this charity at the heart of Stroud is in safe hands.”
Fern House forms part of the wider Daniels site, whose industrial history dates back to 1840, when Thomas Daniels established an engineering, millwrighting and foundry business at Bath Road. The company grew into a major Stroud employer and developed into a substantial industrial complex, producing engineering equipment and employing generations of local people. Daniels also supplied equipment to prestigious customers, including Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. The industrial operation eventually closed in the 1980s, after which the site was transformed into the Daniels Industrial Estate.
Now, as the site undergoes a major redevelopment, Fern House is no more.
A spokesperson for the Remembering Rodborough Facebook Group, told Stroud Times: “It’s such a pity that Fern Cottage couldn’t be integrated into the new housing plan. Along with the rest of the Daniels site, it holds memories for many families. It harks back to a time when an employer provided a way of life as much as a job. Families might be housed and sports and social facilities catered for the hours beyond work.”
The demolition marks another significant change to a site which has played an important role in Stroud’s industrial and social history.
The wider redevelopment will transform the former industrial estate, with plans for more than 100 new homes alongside retained employment space.
