POTWELL, THE HOME OF WILLIAM BORRER

At the end of Cagefoot Lane lies Potwell, the birthplace of famous botanist William Borrer, which is marked by a blue plaque.

Borrer conducted a unique study of lichens, and his annotated collection of plants is now conserved at the Royal Botanical Garden, Kew. He lived at Potwell with his wife and thirteen children, five of whom died in infancy.

From 1786 to 1806, the house was used by the Phillips family as a grammar school. Red Oaks Lodge next door was built as an additional classroom and in 1812 housed one of the earliest National School for boys, later becoming a girls’ school. The house to the right, Red Oaks, was built in 1838 for Borrer’s daughter Fanny.

Another resident of Potwell in the 1930s (and a regular at the White Hart) was J.B. Morton - "Beachcomber" of the Sunday Express.

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