I recently posted about the little straw African Hut which was built in the grounds of David Livingstone Centre in the 1930s, which was a replica of the hut David Livingstone lived in whilst in Africa. Now, i always thought it was removed due to weather, but have recently learned that burned down. It wasn’t the end though. Sandy Wilkie told me in recent weeks that it was replaced in the early 1960’s by his dad, Peter Wilkie when he and an old farming pal, Lance Twaddle from Gilbertfield Farm, made and thatched a new one for them.
Here’s a relatively rare view of the hut.
1929 African Hut at David Livingstone Centre
Whilst on the subject of Peter Wilkie’s association with the Livingstone Centre, Sandy also forward these documents from 1962 and 1963 showing that the Wilkie’s sheep grazed on the Livingstone Grounds, presumably to the far west, for a rented annual sum.
Who can remember sheep grazing near the centre?