House on Lot 190, Clearwater Bay Rd. [c.1950-c.1971]

Submitted by micar on Mon, 06/14/2021 - 05:49
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date completed
(Day, Month, & Year are approximate.)
Date closed / demolished
(Day, Month, & Year are approximate.)

The house my dad built on Clearwater Bay Rd circa 1950 (no electricity, no telephone, on well water - location approximately 9 1/2 miles on southwest side of CWB Rd where the current Pine Villas was built when our family sold and moved in 1971 to the city.

Later place(s) at this location
Pine Villas, Clearwater Bay Rd. [c.1971- ]

Tags

Photos that show this Place

Clearwater Bay Rd 1950's.A.jpg
1950s
Clearwater Bay Rd 1950's.B.jpg
1950s
Clearwater Bay Rd 1950's.C.jpg
1950s
See more photos of this place

Comments

Hi There,

The current Google Maps and other maps showed quite a few houses in the site. Probably it had been sub-devided some time ago and redeveloped in the current status.

Fro GeoInfo Maps, it shows this   It seems to share the same DD229 lot with the Fragrant Villa next door.  But the present day Pine Villas lis listed as 223 (DD223?) where the Fragrant Villa is listed as 221 (DD221?) with an 221 extension in between.  Sorry, don't know much about these lot number stuffs.

T

Hello tngan,

I do not know where the legally surveyed lot boundaries of our property were although I do recall it was known as Lot 190 Clearwater Bay Rd.  Based on my visit in 2017, the paved driveway leading up to our house was approximately where the current driveway between Pine Villas and Fragrant Villa is now located.  Also, if you refer to the second photo in the series I posted, on the other side of the property was an unpaved dirt road between our lot and approximately what is now No.684 CWB Rd so presumably our lot extended between the paved driveway and the unpaved dirt road on the other side - my understanding was that our lot included the area that we cultivated for vegetables in the photo.   If one wanted to be certain, presumably one could search the title to Lot 190 to establish the survey boundaries and how it was subdivided.  I am not familiar with the HK Land Title system.  

Regardless, I remember very fondly as a child the days that I would spend roaming the hills nearby including the very symetrical conical shaped one behind and above our house.   There was a little used path to the top of that hill which had a stone or concrete monument - it is now part of a well established network of hiking trails. From the top of the hill to the southwest on the other side one could see Hang Hau which was still a small fishing village and Tseung Kwan O where old ships were scrapped, of course way before the bay was reclaimed.  My apologies for being a bit carried away as I walk these journeys of nostalgia.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Mike, Thanks for sharing the photos and memories. I've made a small adjustment to keep things tidy, naming this page for your house, and making a separate page for the later Pine Villas.

Feel free to edit the title of this page if needed.

Regards, David

Thank you, Lai-ting,   I was born and lived in the house till I was 17 years old.  My dad got married to my mum, bought the land and built the house to create his own paradise after being released as a POW.  Ours was the first house in the area and at night the only lights we could see were from Tai Po Tsai.  As a child I still remember using kerosene lamps and kerosene stoves before electrical service caught up and, later on cylinder butane gas.  Yes, wonderful memories.  I still visit the site and climb the hill on the rare occasions when I return to HK.  

Cheers, Mike 

What a magical childhood.  I did not grow up in Hong Kong but remember it as a wonderful place to live.  I too remember a happy childhood elsewhere in the Pax Britannica with kerosene lamps - and the kitchen pantry/safes with their fly netting and the legs in saucers of water to thwart the ants - and the kerosene fridges!  We were fortunate - unique and special memories.

Yes, those long hot carefree summers roaming the hills.  At night in bed peering out into the darkness through our mosquito nets (before the oncoming of window mesh)!  The only downside living in the countryside was a lack of other kids to socialize with. 

Thanks for your interest!  The HKU link to the photo of Clear Water Bay Rd you posted (I think but not certain) is from near the intersection of CWB Rd with Silverstrand Beach Rd (just off the lower left of photo) looking southeast.  Mang Gung Uk would be in the distance in the centre of the photo and Pun Long Wan would be beyond the portion of CWB Rd visible at top left of photo. 

The HKU photo looks like it might have been taken (looking SE) from the long steep driveway leading up to the villa now known as "Rock Cliff" which was built/owned by the Remedios family.    Incidentally, the photos of our old house would be just before the intersection of CWB Rd with what is now Ah Kung Wan Rd.  Thanks again for your interest.