This old picture of the Icewell Hill area of Newmarket has been kindly supplied by Robert Rodrigo. The house marked with crosses is Heath View House, built by his grandfather Robert Edward Rodrigo, who became known as 'The King of Touts'.
An article in the 'Daily Telegraph' of 1884 by the Hon. Francis Lawley described the house which he christened 'Castle Dangerous': "A certain tout at Newmarket has built for himself a snug house at the highest spot at the racecourse end of the town. From an upper window of his residence its inmates can sweep the Flat, the Cambridgeshire Course and the trial grounds under the Ditch with his commanding telescope; nor can anything that transpires upon the Heath escape his vigilant and piercing gaze."
The area shown lies between what is now Rowley Drive and Mill Hill occupied by the Icewell Hill Flats, the yard left centre is that of trainer Richard Prince.
The old windmill can be seen in the distance. The row of four cottages left foreground were known as Regent Terrace and the building half hidden centre foreground was the Wheatsheaf Pub. The small cottage immediately behind Regent Terrace was the nineteen thirties childhood home of one of our past members, Peggy Parfitt-Moule, who remembered it backing onto 'Prince's Yard'. The picture seems to have been taken from the tower of St Mary's Church.

We have more pictures of the old Icewell Hill community kindly supplied by Derek Coombes. When they have been identified some additional ones will be added to this page.

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