Railway Hotel and Tom Powell, its Landlord 1897 - 1935

 

Early picture of The Station Hotel

Wivenhoe Memories Collection

There is a surprising link between The Railway Hotel, Tom Powell and the Swallows and Amazons books by Arthur Ransome

One of the characters to appear in the books is a Miss Powell, who lived at Alma Cottage, in Pin Mill, near Chelmondiston on the River Orwell.

Tom Powell, licensee of the Railway Hotel from 1897 – 1935 was born in Chelmondiston in 1869, probably at the Alma Inn. As a sailor he knew Wivenhoe well and moved here sometime between the birth of his daughter in May 1894 and her baptism at St Mary’s in September of that year.

His sister was Annie Powell. Official records show that Annie remained living in Alma Cottage until 1955 when she died, which, according to the Arthur Ransome Society, is when Miss Powell moved away.

Links to other pages in this website:

• The history of the The Station Hotel