History of The Old Rope House
The rear section of Cumberland Terrace was originally part of a rope factory, producing rope and tanning nets for the fishing industry. In around 1880 the front of the terrace was added and the row was converted into five houses. At that time the school and St. Edmund's hall had not been built, and therefore the view was of the Church and surrounding grounds.
Just after the turn of the century Numbers 15 and 16 were owned by the Adnams family (of Adnams Brewery). Members of the Adnams family occupied number 15, and number 16 was rented to family friends. The property changed hands a couple of times between the end of World War II and the early 1960′s, when Adnams Co Ltd. purchased the property for staff accommodation.
In 1967 number 16 was sold to the Adnams Brewery bottle store manager, Mr. Ronald Mortlock, and he lived there with his family and until his death at the age of 88 in 1998, whereupon the property was passed to his son, Vincent.
The house has been completely renovated using local tradesmen. Many of the original Victorian features of the house have been preserved, including the roll top bath in the main bathroom, which was rescued 30 years after being banished by Ronald Mortlock to the Blyth Road allotments in Southwold, where it had been used as a water butt!