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premises, decided that as the original factory in Bethel Street was becoming too
small for the expanding business bought a much larger site in St Andrew's Street.
As with the building of his home in Cringleford, Oakham House (see below),
Harmer turned to the architectural skills of the Boardman family, this time with the
son of Edward Boardman, Harmer's friend and fellow church member. Having
recently qualified as an architect, the younger Boardman joined his father's
business in Norwich and drew up plans for the new factory which was opened in St
Andrew's Street in 1890. Known as St Andrew's Steam Clothing & Hosiery
Works, it became the main base of the firm's future activities until it was severely
damaged by bombing during an air raid in 1943.
During the late 19th century several large houses were built in Cringleford by
wealthy Norwich businessmen who wished to move out of the city into a more
rural setting. In about 1872-1873, Harmer purchased about sixteen acres of land
adjoining Newfound Lane, now known as Colney Lane, Cringleford. He com-
missioned Edward Boardman, the City architect, to draw up plans for the erection
of a large house on this site.
In 1876, Harmer and his family moved from their former home in Heigham to
the newly-built Oakland House in Cringleford (home village, incidentally, of the
present writer) (Fig. 2.2 ). Domestic and ground staff were engaged, the former
usually numbered about five and the latter included eight gardeners. In the same
year, a small, single storey lodge was built at the entrance to the drive on Colney
Lane; this building still stands today in an extended form. A coachman's house
built in the same year also stands in Colney Lane. Harmer kept a number of horse-
drawn carriages and the sale catalogue for the auction of family possessions after
his death listed a Morris Brougham, a Landau, a Victoria and a shooting cart.
Harmer's will also indicated that he owned a motor car which he used extensively
on his geological expeditions in the early 1900s.
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