Church Avenue - Laindon

Church Avenue ran from the bottom of Church Hill eastward to Uppermayne.  This was an unmade road which became very muddy in winter.  Many people needing to walk to No. 2 Industrial site in the very early sixties (including me) chose to avoid the mud by walking up Church Hill, past Laindon Park School, along Basildon Road to reach Uppermayne.

There were about 50 dwellings in Church Avenue consisting of between one and four rooms.  Most made of wood, with just a few made from bricks.  I found the following advertisement (shown below) in the 16th September 1933 edition of the Essex Newsman.

Surprisingly this wooden built bargain with its asbestos roof and extensive garden didn’t sell immediately as it was still being advertised in June the following year.   On looking at the map, most of the other plots were equally generous in size.I have compiled the following list using the 1949 survey map and corresponding list of names of the dwellings in each plot.  A few were ‘unnamed’.  I have used the 1949 Electoral Register to add the names of the residents were possible.

Plots numbered 199 were empty pieces of ground.

North side going east.

235 ‘Fairmead’ – John & Lilian Hollens.  234 ‘Avonside’ – John & Emma Back.  233 ‘Bellview’ – Arthur & Isabel Covington.  232 ‘Whiterock’ – John & Eliza Newman.  231 ‘Stanvera’ – George, Neil & Louisa Pountney.   230 ‘Rosefern’ – James & Daisy Bone.  229 ‘Barrowdale’ – Frank & Joyce Bird.  228 ‘Roberta’ –  Robert & Annie Seber.  227 ‘The Gables’ – Joseph, Florence & Ronald Webb.  226 ‘Clovelly’ – Alfred, Doris, Ethel, Reginald & Ronald Card.  225 ‘Marilyn’ – Arthur & Mary Capps plus Cecil & Phylis Peall.  224 ‘The Kelsys’ – Sidney & Mary Kelsy.  223 ‘Henly’ – Walter & Mabel Mayes.  222 ‘Ivanho’ –    221 ‘Barry’ –    220  – unnamed.  219 – unnamed.  218 ‘Margaret’ –   217 ‘Bettyma’ –    216 ‘Ann’  –  215 – unnamed  214 – unnamed.  213 ‘Hillview’ –   212 ‘The Dawns’ –   211 ‘The Lawns’ –   209 – unnamed.

Southside going east.

185 ‘Ubique’ –   186 ‘Maplethorpe’ – Sarah A + Sarah L Phillips.  187 ‘Rose  View’ – Nellie & Ernest Barr.   188 ‘Bubbles’ – William, Beryl & Elsie Anderson.  189 ‘Wyndham’ – Isabella & Joshua Pocock.  190 ‘Dorredene’ – Thomas & Gladys Deal.  191 ‘Conieville’ – Thomas & Susan Gipson plus Douglas & Winifred Morrison.  192 ‘Primose’ – Henry Saunders.  193 ‘Ingleneuk’ – William & Grace Townsend.  194 ‘Wendy’ – Samuel Capps plus George & Dorothy Jennings plus Edward & Doris Tagg.  195 ‘Springfield’ –   196 ‘Alembari’ –   197 ‘Oakdale’ –   198 – unnamed   200 ‘Weno’ –   201 – unnamed   202   ‘Mayflower’ –   203  ‘Margarita’ –   204 ‘Bellavera’ –   205 2 unnamed wooden huts  –  206 ‘St Anthony’ –  207 ‘Felix’ –   208 ‘Nous-Quatres’ -.

The 1962 Electoral Register shows the following living in Church Avenue.  ‘Fairmeade’ – John E Hollens.  ‘Avondale’ – Emma J Back.  ‘Rosefern’ – Daisy & James Bone.  ‘Clovelly’ – Alfred & Ethel Card plus David R Eggleston.

According to the Laindon Recorder, in May 1964 the police set up a temporary control post in Church Avenue during a manhunt involving eight hooded bandits who had held up a taxi on its way to a Wickford Bank.  They managed to snatch £1,120 from the two bank officials travelling inside, by ramming the taxi with their black Zodiac and snatching the ignition keys.  The Zodiac was abandoned; the bandits fled and went to ground in Lee Chapel North.  Unfortunately I don’t know the outcome of the manhunt.

The road was made up later that year at which time its name was changed and it became the eastern end of St Nicholas Lane.

Church Avenue isn’t mentioned on the 1968 Electoral Register because by then it had become part of St Nicholas Lane.  However the following were shown still in residence:  No. 88 – Isobel Pocock.   ‘Neasden’ – Isobel & Pearl Covington.

Today this stretch of road is extremely busy and the parkland area that lays on the south side of the road to the far east is due to be built on with yet more houses, much to the disappointment of the Lee Chapel North residents.

Click on the map to enlarge
The 1949 Survey (Ordnance Survey)
Essex Newsman 1933
Essex Newsman 1934

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  • In reply to a comment by Richard Haines.
    I’m Nellie and Ernest Barr’s grandson Neil. As far as I know they moved to a new council house in Waldegrave, Kingswood Basildon after Basildon Council compulsory purchased ‘Rose View’ but I don’t know when that was. Did you know Nellie and Ernest? As I’m currently researching my family tree and it would be great to hear your memories of them.

    By Neil Barr (10/01/2023)
  • Hello again bit of late reply….Yes certain the tabs were from Garden centre on A20 Kent, not sure if still open but was couple years back, I found them buried deep within in the remains of a shed in area of plots 225,229.
    Is a fuller map available, would like to see Basildon Rise and Hilltop Road area? Is there any info about Hilltop Road properties? I’m currently researching a property that was in Hilltop near Basildon Rise, many thanks great info.

    Editor: Hi Gary, I will endeavour to sort out the information that you seek, this may take a few days but do my best to send them ASAP.


    Editor a message from Garry – “Hi Bob hope you ok can you contact Chris at Larkins tyres when you get a min”

    By Gary Oliver (18/10/2021)
  • Wow great article…. I’ve been wanting to do this for ages-find the names of houses even the people and put them on the map. Since I was a kid in 1977, I been picking fruit from these old gardens and wondering what it used to be like. I saw the last few properties disappear. I have found many artefacts from the old places, chimney pots, car parts, china tea set, valve radio/TVs, bird bath, hunks of marble, a stash of plastic plant tabs from garden centre on the A20 that must a been a trek back in the day. I’ve found wells, drains, pathways, garden features, lots of wood and concrete fence posts and telegraph poles. I’m gathering my finds and photos of artefacts on Facebook at the moment and would like to find names of homes and people from other unmade roads, Hilly Road, Hilltop Road, Basildon Rise, Church Hill, Compton Avenue before it all gets lost forever Thanks again.

    Editor:- Oliver are you sure you meant the A20? Also, did you know that the names of the properties in the roads you mention and the names of the people who lived in them are on the Electoral Registers. These are available at Basildon Library from the year 1949 onwards. Go to the enquiry desk and ask for the year/s you require and the books will be brought out to you.

    By Gary Oliver (22/09/2018)
  • I am very familiar with the mud in Church Road.  My dad used to make grocery deliveries to several customers there.  On one occasion the “road” was softer than my dad had realised and before we had travelled far, the car got stuck in the mud.  My dad got his old hessian potato sacks out and put them under the wheels.  He then told me to get out of the car and push while he put the car in reverse.  This ploy worked very successfully.  The car moved back into St. Nicholas Lane.  Unfortunately when the car moved I wasn’t ready and fell flat on my face in the mud.  To add to my degradation my dad wouldn’t let me get back in the car because I was too muddy, leaving me to walk back home!!  Oh, the joys of being a grocer’s daughter.

    By Georgina Nottage (nee Ellingford) (19/03/2016)
  • Today I had occasion to travel to Laindon, to visit my sister at her home, after her having been in hospital for many weeks. Happy to say she is on the mend. But on beginning my journey home, my route took me along St Nicholas Lane towards Upper Mayne. I was, to put it mildly, dismayed to see what I regard as one of the few remaining areas of scrubland in the district under development.

    The area bordered on three sides by Ballards Walk, St Nicholas Lane and Upper Mayne, soon to be known as St Nicholas Mews and Westley Green is having 3 and 4 bedroom houses built  upon it. Obviously they will not be affordable houses and are not aimed at next generation Laindoners. Makes you sick doesnt it? I cant remember the last time I saw a Bullfinch, there used to be many on that piece of ground and when did I last see a Thrush? This type of development ensures that our children and their children will probably never have the opportunity to see these or many other varieties of wildlife that was once common in and around Laindon. Well done Redrow Homes and those who gave this project the go ahead.

    By Donald Joy (21/12/2015)
  • An update on the dwelling 188 Bubbles, William & Elsie were mum & dad, their children from eldest down, Beryl, James, Jean, and Brenda.

    Beryl married my brother John, They were divorced later on, James married my sister Shirley, sadly she passed away 7 years ago, James still lives Billericay. Jean married Douglas Hymas they both live in the King Edward Road area. Brenda married Ron Thorn and they live in Rochford. I have lost touch with Jean & Brenda.

    The bungalow 189, Diana Pocock also lived there.  Lovely memories from those days.

    Bill Anderson

    By William Anderson (08/04/2015)
  • Good little article, I enjoyed it. This area is significant to me because by 1959 when I knew it, most of the houses listed by Nina had either disappeared or were deserted and damaged. We used to call them ‘The Shacks’.

    That summer was the hottest on record and luckily for us who were interested in nature we would see many varieties of butterflies, lizards, slow worms and snakes including grass snakes and adders. The snakes would curl up under sheets of asbestos and we would surprise them by flipping back the sheets to see them make off at speed for cover. The lizards would bask in the sun, being cold blooded reptiles. My favourites were the slow worms which looked exactly like snakes but were more docile and could be handled safely.

    These days as Nina says the road is extremely busy but the grassy verges around the Church Hill and Hilly Road section are the legacy of all those early plot dwellers. I wonder who bought Rose View from Nellie and Ernest Barr and how long they stayed, a fascinating thought.

    By Richard Haines (28/02/2015)

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