Westgate House in 1866 - from the Spanton Jarman Collection

From at least 1836 until June 1866, Westgate House, in Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, was a private school run by Sarah Ann Winkfield.

Edward Greene, brewer, purchased the property in 1865 and had it rebuilt in 1866. Westgate House now became the town house of Edward Greene MP and was occupied in turn by members of the Lake family. Sometime between 1916 and 1925 the Lakes moved out of the building, which was subsequently used by West Suffolk County Council, eventually becoming Peatling and Cauldron, wine merchants in the 1960s.

-- This picture is part of a remarkable collection of 4,000 photographs in the care of Bury St Edmunds Past and Present Society which offers a glimpse into the town’s history.

Taken by two families of professional photographers, the Spantons and the Jarmans, the images span a period from the 1860s through to the outbreak of World War Two. The fragile glass plate negatives were donated to the society in 1997 and in recent years many of these have been ‘digitised’ thanks to a Lottery grant and can be viewed at www.burypastandpresent.org.uk where you can also find details about membership and the group’s programme of events and lectures. The Spanton-Jarman collection is held at the Bury St Edmunds branch of the Suffolk Record Office. For more details about the Record Office, including its programme of talks and courses, visit www.suffolk.gov.uk/sro.