Brook Road South – Early 20th Century

By the early 20^th century the orchards had gone and the road was built up on both sides. There were shops on the corners of the side roads and the consecutive numbering had been changed to odds and evens as it is nowadays.

The 1901/2 street directory shows the east side of the road at number
1 Frank Jarvis was a baker,
43 John Edward Ross was a hairdresser,
45 Robert Dixon greengrocer,
57 Thomas Everdene was a grocer,
The Griffin had been there since 1884 and Henry A Compton was the landlord.
59 Frederick Luffrum was a greengrocer. Continue reading “Brook Road South – Early 20th Century”

KathJanuary 17, 2013Leave a comment

Places

Brook Road South – Growth of Housing

The first houses to be built after the land sale in 1872 were on the west side running north from Albany Road. They were numbered consecutively with numbers 8, 9, 10 and 11 north of Grosvenor Road which ran down hill to towards the recreation ground. They were called Grosvenor Terrace and are now numbers 14, 16, 18 and 20 Brook Road South.

The builder, Henry Spicer lived at the Lord Nelson PH in Enfield Road was brought to account in 1883 for allowing these 4 houses to be occupied without giving notice to the Sanitary Authority. Continue reading “Brook Road South – Growth of Housing”

KathJanuary 9, 20132 Comments

Places

Brook Road South – Brook House

In 1872 there was a major sale of the cultivated land between Albany Road and the railway.

The piece of land that is now the south side of the football ground was bought for £580 by John Carpenter who lived at Brook House on the north west corner. This was Lot 19 and described as ‘enclosed on all sides nearly with substantial fruit walls, well stocked with fine standard and other fruit trees, also four division and two cross walls all well clothed with choice fruit trees, a packing shed and a well of water’. Brook House looks to have been quite a large house with a formal garden but there don’t seem to be any pictures of it. (Unless any readers can provide one!)

Mr Carpenter had been born in Sussex in 1814 and by the time of the 1841 census had a business as an ‘oilman’ at 52, High Street. He was married with 5 children. This business was described as ‘oil and colour trade’ by 1861 and he was also shown in directories as a ‘rag and general merchant’. Continue reading “Brook Road South – Brook House”

KathDecember 13, 2012Leave a comment

Places

Brook Road South – Market Gardening

In 1837, a few months after Victoria became Queen, a piece of land between Brook Lane and Drum Lane (now Ealing Road) was for sale. It was described as 4 acres of partly walled Market Garden Ground and it contained ‘Three Respectable, residences, a cottage and numerous outbuildings’.

The map with the notice of sale shows that the buildings were near the present site of the Griffin. There’s a bend in Brook Lane to the left which is still there and the brook runs as an open stream along the west side of the road. Continue reading “Brook Road South – Market Gardening”

KathDecember 13, 20121 Comment