The Kelmarsh fire of 1943

Embed from Getty Images

The fire at what used to be Kelmarsh Rectory, which later became a Buddhist centre, reminded me of the fire in 1943 that destroyed half the village. You can see the smouldering ruins in the photo above.

I discovered the story when I visited Kelmarsh in 2013 and discovered a plaque on the row of cottages that replaced the Elizabethan ones lost to the fire.

Later. A couple of news report from 1943 say the cottages dated from the 15th century and that the salvageable stone from them was used for the front of the ones that took their place.