Fern Cottage demolished as historic Stroud Daniels site begins new chapter

A familiar Stroud landmark with links to Princess Diana and the history of one of the country’s best-known meningitis charities has been demolished.

Fern Cottage stood prominently on Bath Road at the former Daniels Industrial Estate for decades. The building was closely associated with Meningitis Now, which had been based on the site for many years, and became especially well known after Diana, Princess of Wales, visited in 1990.

The demolition comes as the wider former industrial estate undergoes a major redevelopment. Plans for the site include more than 100 new homes, alongside employment space that is due to be retained.

The royal visit to Fern Cottage

When Diana visited Fern Cottage, it was home to the Meningitis Trust, the organisation now known as Meningitis Now. The charity had grown from a meningitis support movement established in the Stroud area into a national organisation supporting people affected by the illness.

Diana was invited by Sue Neale, one of the charity’s founding members. Neale later recalled the circumstances behind the royal connection, including a letter she wrote to the mother of two young boys who lived nearby.

“I wrote this as Chairman of The National Meningitis Trust but more importantly I wrote it as a mother of a young child who had suffered from the illness.”

Neale said she first wrote the letter in her capacity as chairman, but also as the mother of a young child who had suffered from meningitis. The following day, she took it to Jane Wells, a co-founder of the organisation, who typed it up properly before it was posted to Diana.

The response from the Princess surprised those involved. Diana offered to take up the active role of president of The National Meningitis Trust, a development Neale regarded as a decisive moment for the organisation.

“This was THE turning point.”

Neale said Diana’s involvement brought the charity “total credibility”. She recalled that its awareness campaign grew rapidly, funding increased and the organisation was able to accept more research commitments. The charity was also able to help many more people affected by meningitis, with Neale saying that lives were saved and futures rebuilt.

Her account describes the organisation’s growth from its local beginnings to a national charity. Neale also referred to the people working at the Fern House headquarters, naming trustees, patrons, ambassadors, staff members, volunteers and supporters as part of the team supporting its work.

“It is 40 years on and we have an incredible team at Fern House HQ of Trustees, Patrons, Ambassadors, staff members, volunteers and supporters.”

She added:

“I know that this charity at the heart of Stroud is in safe hands.”

A site shaped by Stroud’s industrial past

Fern House was part of the wider Daniels site, whose industrial history reaches back to 1840. That was the year Thomas Daniels established an engineering, millwrighting and foundry business at Bath Road.

The business expanded into a substantial industrial complex and became a major Stroud employer. It produced engineering equipment and employed generations of local people. Its customers included prestigious institutions such as Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, to which Daniels supplied equipment.

The original industrial operation eventually closed during the 1980s. The site was then transformed into the Daniels Industrial Estate, creating a new use for a location that had previously been associated with manufacturing and employment.

Memories of the Daniels Estate

The loss of Fern Cottage has prompted a reaction from the Remembering Rodborough Facebook Group. A spokesperson said the building’s demolition was particularly sad because the cottage and the wider Daniels site remained significant to local families.

“It’s such a pity that Fern Cottage couldn’t be integrated into the new housing plan. Along with the rest of the Daniels site, it holds memories for many families.”

The group also reflected on the role Daniels once played in the lives of its workforce. It said the site recalled a time when an employer could provide a way of life as well as a job, with families potentially housed and sports and social facilities available outside working hours.

That industrial and social history is now being carried into a substantially different future. The former estate is being redeveloped with plans for more than 100 homes, while some employment space will remain. The demolition of Fern Cottage therefore marks both the removal of a recognisable building and another stage in the transformation of one of Stroud’s historic employment sites.