Newnham Historic Buildings

First recorded in the 1617 will of Stephen Hulkes, gentleman of Newnham, Calico House was described as "his new house in Newnham Street'. It is a Jacobean house, but it is possible that it was built over an earlier building.

The similarity of the red and white plasterwork on the outside of the house to the printed 'calico' fabric of the early 18th century may explain the house's unusual name. Other suggestions have been that calico was made there, or that 'Calico' was the name used for an alehouse run from the house.

The Hulkes (or Hulse) family lived here for just over a century, and they were very influential in village affairs. They were patrons of the church, churchwardens, employers of local people and also ran the village brew house! In his will Stephen Hulkes even left eight bushels of wheat to make mead for the 'consumption of Newnham folk'. His initials and those of his wife Joane are on the fireplace in one of the rooms.

There is a plaque in the Church to Mr John Hulse who died in 1681. Mr Hulse's nephew (another John) died in 1714 and left his properties, Calico House and The George to his brothers who sold Calico House to Colonel W. Delaune in 1720 and The George to William Hillis in 1729.

In the 18th Century Calico House was used as a parsonage in place of the ruined one beside the church.

In 1814 it was a family house again owned by John Filmer. He planted the first of the yew hedges around the gardens.

The Filmer family later rented out the property as two separate dwellings and during conversion work found a hidden room containing William and Mary furniture dating from an era some 150 years earlier.

Farmers and agricultural dealers were amongst the tenants of Calico House for the next century and the grounds became a farmyard. When Captain Alured Delaunne of Sharsted bought the properties at the beginning of the 20th century, he converted them back into one house and turned the farmyard into gardens. It has remained a family home to the present day.