Whilst researching into the puzzle concerning the High Road/High Street anomaly, we found this old map amongst our collection which appears to have been produced for H. E. Bebington. We are sure it will be of great interest to all interested parties, especially William Diment as it shows part of the ‘High Road’, marked as ‘High Street’.
The map is undated but as there is an advertisement for Paramount, dealing in radio and TV, we would say it was printed in the very early 50s, based on an even earlier map. This might explain why William’s advertisement for Henbest’s states their address as 1 High Street, although it doesn’t explain why in the Kelley’s 1933 Directory, some shops are listed under High Road and some under High Street. Maybe there was some general confusion at the time.
The High Street is described on the map as running from Laindon Station to the A127. The stretch from A127 to Noak Hill Road is shown as ‘High Road’. The stretch from Laindon Station as far up as Dry Street and probably beyond is shown as High Road. Essex Road is shown as Essex Road.
We would like to say a very big thank you William for bringing this to our attention. It has been absolutely intriguing to research and who knows, more evidence may yet be uncovered.
Please note that North is on the left side of the map.
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Of course you are correct Ken. The name has always been Langdon Hills. Nonetheless, Cliff is right in saying that a lot of the older folk referred to Laindon Hills. It is not the only local mix up. For much of my life, the first station up the line was East Horndon. Imagine my surprise, on a visit back to Laindon, to discover that that the sun now rose in the west and set in the east. Consequently, East Horndon was now West Horndon.
Hi Cliff
Langdon Hills is the correct name for the parish and always has been….I believe the reason it has been so often referred to as Laindon Hills is because of the weakness of the English Tongue ..
A lot of older folk, refer to Langdon Hills as Laindon Hills. In fact There is an old road sign on the corner of Rectory Road and Prince Charles Avenue, Orsett, that displays Laindon Hills. At the A128 end of Prince Charles Avenue, there is a later road sign displaying Langdon Hills. It seems the area was known, traditionally as Laindon Hills and has morphed to Langdon Hills, the reason, who knows?
Editor: Cliff, you may find this article of interest. https://www.laindonhistory.org.uk/content/areas_and_places/journeys-through-our-community/a_sign_of_the_times
Thanks Nina for the info on ‘SHEILA’ Hope you can help me further. Was ‘SHEILA’ actually demolished for the rebuilding of the new Basildon? Is there anything built there? Mary Ann died at ‘SHEILA’ in 1950 and as George died in 1953 in Plaistow, would he have been moved there because of the rebuild?
“SHEILA” was demolished. I am not sure exactly what year that happened, but a row of three terraced houses (nos. 7 – 9) were built going south from The Nurses Cottage to Roberts Road. This row of houses is called Archibald Terrace. Acer Dental Practice stands on the former site of ‘SHEILA’ which is on the corner of Roberts Road. Nos. 1 – 6 Archibald Terrace are on the other side of Roberts Road.
If you go onto Google Earth and type in the postcode of the dentist: SS15 6AZ, you will be able to see the exact place. The Nurses Cottage is still there with its pink front door. I hope this helps.
Sid Clifford’s fruitier ‘Belgrave’ stood directly next door, on the south side of ‘SHEILA’. On the north side of ‘SHEILA’, next door was ‘The Rosary’, then came ‘The Nurses Cottage’. These places stood just south of the Broadway. The 1949 Electoral Register shows the people living in ‘SHEILA’ were. Mary Ann and George Hollis. I hope this helps.
I had a relative living in High Road Laindon in the 1940’s over a hardware store? with the name ‘SHEILA’ can anyone enlighten me?
Alan. More puzzlement. Planned roads that never materialised. However, there is now a Coburg Lane in the area and Emanuel Road does lead through into Berry Lane.
Eddie. The 1929 Electoral Register is available on-line and shows that only ‘Station Road’ was being used and ‘High Road’ and ‘High Street’ aren’t mentioned at all. Traditionally, the main route through a community or village was the ‘Street’ and any paths coming into or leading away from the ‘Street’ were ‘Roads’, in which case the little map above would appear to be correct. We have found a few more shop advertisements from the thirties that show ‘High Street’. (Also, traditionally a route would be called after the place they led to. i.e. Billericay Road – because it led to Billericay, Southend Road because it led to Southend etc.). We now know that during the thirties, both ‘High Street’ and ‘High Road’ were in use, probably due to some confusion or indecision. It would appear that the name ‘High Road’ was finally decided upon from around 1940. Certainly by the 1949 Electoral Register, only High Road was being used.
(My brain hurts, I think I need to lie down in a darkened room – only joking!).
While browsing through the archive I noticed another name has emerged. The photograph of Greenhaugh and Morningside bears the name of Laindon Road which would seem to be written by the photographer.
Another interesting point arises from the Laindon Recorder dated 3rd April 1936. “The Laindon and Pitsea Recorder, (incorportating the Vange and Pitsea Times). Editor Arthur W.Coleman, 7 High Sreet, Laindon. Telephone No. Laindon 103. As these premises were slightly to the north and on the opposite side of the road to Henbest Tailors who gave his address as No.1 High Street and that of his wife’s shop (which was a little way south) as High Road. Could this mean that the H.E.Bebington map which named the road north of Henbest’s as High Street as far as the Arterial Rd. and that the addresses advertised were correct and that both names, High Street and High Rd. were concurrent correct postal addresses.
Nina, another point of confusion— as if one was needed! Regarding the map which accompanies your posting under the heading of Laindon Map: High Road V High Street. This shows Elizabeth Road running from Vowler Road to Beatrice Road. Elizabeth Road never existed! At least not in my time. In my earlier posting I referred to the third lot, north side, from the Berry Lane/Vowler Road junction as a vacant lot. It now looks as if it were the beginning of a planned road, some time in the future, to be named Elizabeth Road. Except that Elizabeth Road never happened. Thus there were only two lots/bungalows west of the planned Elizabeth Road: that of the Hayes family and the bungalow demolished by the German rocket. The Elizabeth Road anomaly was not unique in this area of Laindon. In reality Coburg Road never existed, Emmanuel Road never went through to Berry Lane, Raglan Road never did a left turn to join Beatrice Road, and Florence Road never went through to connect with the mythical Elizabeth Road.
Editor: Alan, I’ve taken the liberty of moving your comment to this page so that it can add to other information on Laindon street/road names.
All the 1911 census documents issued to residents used Station Road for the full length of the road from the station to the junction with Dunton Road, with one exception. This was the use of “13 High St, Station Rd” for one of the shops in the parade next to the station approach at the southern end. High Street was also used on the returns form for one other shop in this parade. (Does this parade have a name?)
Some residents at the northern end completed their returns with High Road. The furthest south of these was Homehurst, which was situated between Nichol Road and Pauls Road. There was no A127, of course. So as early as 1911, High Road and High Street was being used by the residents. But, if I recall correctly from the Essex Record Office, only Station Road was being used until at least the 1915 edition of the Electoral Register.
On a Prudential Insurance policy for my great-grandfather in April 1916 his address is given as High Road. I believe he was living about opposite the Laindon Hotel, and certainly south of New Century Road. Perhaps, a check through the Electoral Registers at ERO may show when road names officially changed – but may just cause further confusion!
Thank you Barry. The two pages in respect of Laindon roads have produced a huge amount of comment, some factual, some mistaken and some unfulfilled prophesy. This is not confined to the Archive pages but exists in the books published by historians. I give below instances which could be debateable.
The Marion Hill book “A Century of Basildon” Page 19. This shows a photo, c.1905, of a churned up unmade road she names as “Laindon High Rd”. and the shops clearly indicate is just approaching the station corner. Page 32. This shows a photo, c.1914, of the Station corner and once again named as Laindon High Road. However her footnote states that at this time there were only four laid down roads, the High STREET, St.Nicholas Lane, Church Rd. (although at this time its name was actually School Lane) and Pound Lane, the others simply being “pegged out” and unmade. I suggest this is incorrect as roads such as Dunton Road, Noak hill Rd., Wash Rd. and Hardings Elms Rd. etc were well travelled and while possibly not being tarmacked were quite definitely hard roads. Page 45. Shows a photo, c.1920, of around the Laindon Hotel in Main Road. It is all very confusing trying to separate the wheat from the chaff.
We have replaced the above map with a clearer copy. It’s just a pity it isn’t dated. Looking forward to comparing it with Barry’s version. Referring to earlier comments, I believe William meant to say ‘Morningside’. Also I think the Editor meant to say ‘until 1891’. I have also found when looking on the Electoral Register from 100 years ago and more, the name isn’t mentioned. Just the name of the voter i.e. Fred Blogs, near the station etc.
Editor: Thanks Nina I have made the corrections to the comment from William and my addition.
Thank you Nina, I did mean to say Morningside.
While as Barry Ellerby states that Doves Hill was never a road, it was very well known in winter as a sledging run, one running west into Pound Lane and the other south west to the St.Nicholas Lane/Pound Lane junction. It was a very popular venue.
Mr Diment In answer to your question regarding the road that links Pound Lane to Kathleen Ferrier Crescent. The name of this Road is Tallis Road and also it is part of the the estate.
Further to the comments in respect of the map. Alan made a slip of the tongue, or should I say finger, when he referred to Basildon Road as Basildon Drive. The latter of course ran north east from the garden of roses in St. Nicholas Lane and terminated at some fields, although the map shows it as turning east and joining Pound Lane, which it never did. However, this proved to be prophetic as in later years a road was built in this position to connect the Kathleen Ferrier estate with Pound Lane but I do not know its present day name unless it is part of Kathleen Ferrier Crescent.
With the title of this page being High Rd. v High Sreet I noticed in the archive regarding “Morningside” another contender for inclusion, that of Station Road. So now we have Station Road, Main Road, High Road and High Street. What was the name of this road before the railway was built? While some places can trace road names back to Roman times, we seem to have difficulty in going back 160 yearsr or so.
Editor: Looking back through the censes it appears that it did not have a name until after 1891 although some of the other roads in the area were named. I am still investigating this.
I have just got my copie of the Bebingtons map out and to my astonishment it is different to the one Nina has put on. There are road names such as Doves Hill, Church Drive, Nicholas Avenue, Hall Farm Road and lots more as you know these roads never existed. I will take my map to Ian to get it put on the site for all to have a look (It gets more confusing).
This is a fascinating topic, thanks for publishing this interesting little map. Maps of this kind, unofficial as they are served their purpose at the time. A glaring error, yes on my little road which this time is Niccoll Road, the umpteenth variation on the correct Nichol Road. I see that St Nicholas Lane is merely Nicholas Lane on this map but the intriguing thing for me is the layout of roads before the Kathleen Ferrier Crescent estate was built, some road names in there which were buried before I ever lived in Laindon. As for the continuation of Basildon Road into Pound Lane I can warrant that it was a very well used footpath after school at Laindon Park, winter and especially summer when a great proportion of pupils would walk home, a happy little crowd all together and the best school I ever went to, so friendly and laid back. You could cut across the playing field in a diagonal to reach the footpath but this was not the case if the gates to the field were locked and you would have to do the full route from the corner of Church Hill Road. I’m having another look at the map, I’m sure there’s more to find on it!
The naming of the roads in Laindon has caused some confusion in its recordings, even the name of the page “Laindon High Road Shops and Public Buildings” as other maps if correct could show there were none except for Gammons Cafe and Wilsons Chemist in what is now termed High Road North.
This has caused me to think back to my comment in respect of Church Rd. formerly School Lane in which I suggested it must have had another name as the road existed before the school and I suggested it was probably Church Rd. I can now remember before the war some of the older locals would refer to it as Black Hut Lane, whether this was an official or a colloquial name I do not know.
However I well remember the black huts which were sem-idetached timber builimgs covered in black tar, a pair on either side of the Arterial Road, the northern pair opposite where I live. I do not know who owned those to the south or remember them as being permanently occupied, although after the war they sometimes had squatters and were demolished I believe in the 1960s.
Those to the north were owned by Eldred Buckenham and had long term residents. Prewar, one of these housed the Ripper family, Mrs. Ripper and children Hilda, Jack and Bill, although I cannot remember a Mr. Ripper, the other was the home of an old bachelor, Mr. Corby. After the war Mr.Corby had died and the home occupied by another Ripper family, Nell and her husband whose name I believe was Arthur.
In the other half Hilda and Jack had left and Mrs Ripper had died leaving just Bill. Also Nell Ripper’s husband passed away and after some time, Nell left to live with her son Victor on the Kathleen Ferrier estate. This half of the building was then demolished and a modern chalet built in its place. Bill who had never married lived alone and had few friends apart from occasional visits from Keith Nock’s uncles Albert and George and one other ‘Jack’ Clarke. I am not sure of the christian name.
When Bill died it was ‘Jack’ Clarke who made the funeral arrangements and Bill was buried in Little Burstead Church, a very lonely funeral attended by ‘Jack’ and his sister Florrie, whose married name I never knew, myself and my wife and Rosie Sullivan and husband who lived opposite. The hut was demolished and three chalets built in its place. A part of old Laindon lost forever, with few to remember its passing.
Barry Ellerby states some of the roads shown were only proposed and did not come into being. This would probably apply to Pound Lane which terminated at the junction of St.Nicholas Lane although the map shows it as continuing south and diverging into two other roads. These are shown as TP roads which are not explained although Barry states some are marked in red on the original map which does not appear on the archive printing. Who would have thought that “this tumbledown, ramshackle blot on the face of Essex” , as a Laindon Recorder editor once described it could evoke such controversial comment.
I strongly suspect that this map was never meant to be accurate to the smallest detail. Those who put it together never dreamed that in the future it would be closely examined and dissected. It was probably put together as an advertisement, or hand out as we might say today, for Bebington’s clients or walk ins. As such it was probably done quickly, inexpensively, and not altogether accurately.
Further to my comment of 01/02/2013 in respect of the map showing Basildon Rd. as running westward from the school. There is an excellent photo on the Laindon Park Conservation Area showing that by no stretch of the imagination could it ever have been considered a road, also it was Jemima Chapman who said she walked this path to school. I suggest Ken Porter would also have memories of this area as it was only a short distance from where he lived.
Lots of interesting comments still coming in. What I really like about this map is the fact that it shows and names the road where my family and I lived. We lived at the northern end of Alexandra Road which was off the unmade part of King Edward Road (very close to Fords Research Centre). From around 1940 it started to be referred to as part of King Edward Road, even our postal address became King Edward Road rather than Alexandra Road, possibly to make things easier for our postman. Not all maps bother to name it, so it is good to see an acknowledgement in print that it did actually exist. These days, Alexandra Road is the most northerly part of Victoria Park.
Thank you Nina for this map even though it causes some confliction in my memory, but could clarify some of the points confusing me, but at the same time it raises others.
It appears that Laindon High Street existed from the Arterial Road to the Station Approach where it became Bristow Road, for a short distance and then reverted to High Road. This would mean that the address of Henbest Tailors of High Street was correct as were those of Kelly’s directory in respect of High Street addresses, but would also mean that all the other addresses under the heading of High Road were incorrect.
A further confusing point in respect of this area was that in the Essex County Archives a map appears under the heading of Laindon Estate, but shows this as extending from the station south to Berry Lane (both inclusive) with roads such as Emanuel Road and St. Davids Road adjoining Main Road. It does not mention Langdon Hills at all, which I find strange as it was my belief that the name Langdon preceded that of Laindon as can be seen in the 1777 map in the Peter Lucas book.
I have never before heard that Laindon extended south of the railway, for that matter I have never heard of a ‘Laindon Estate’ although there were various estates within the area south of the railway. It would appear that the more I learn, the less I understand.
Hello Nina, The H. E. Bebington map may bring forth comment as being inconsistent with peoples’ memories. One of my own, which is clear in my mind is that Basildon Road did not carry on westward past Donaldsons school, over Pound Lane and join Basildon Drive. I suggest it terminated at the school with a sharp left hand turn to join Church Hill Road. The continuation shown on the map was a footpath although it did have three timber dwellings at the the point shown as a junction with Crompton Ave, which in itself was only a cinder path from the Arterial Road up to the church, although the section of the path from the imaginary part of Basildon Road to the church is not shown. This is now the conservation area which has been featured in the archives. The above may possibly confirmed by the lady who wrote in the archive that she would walk this path on her way to school and hide in the bushes when there were air raid warnings.
I have now seen the advertisement for Henbest’s shops (above). Henbest had two shops, one on the east side and the other on the west side. The fact that one’s address is shown as High Road and the other is shown as High Street, indicates the general confusion that existed around that time.
My memory is very similar to that of Bill Diment. Basildon Drive was a made up road which, travelling westward, passed the Basildon Country Club on the left, Church Road on the right, and then an abrupt left hand turn at Donaldson’s school. It then became Church Hill Road. If Basildon Drive continued at all it was only as a narrow, unmarked, grass footpath running along the northern boundary of Donaldson’s sports field. I remember playing cricket on the sports field and, later in life, Sunday evening dances at the Basildon Country Club, and, on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon, a very pleasant couple of hours courting in the long grass which ran down from the churchyard and west of the trees which formed the boundary of the sports field.
Yes Mr Diment, you are correct about Basildon Rd ending at Church Road and Church hill. This H E Bebington map can be confusing as I have seen the original map that hung on the wall in Bebington’s office. The part of Basildon Road you mention leading to Pound Lane was only a proposed route you will also find other roads on this map that did not come about. On the original map these proposed roads were marked in red pen they did not come about due to lack interest in the plots of land in the area at the time. Hope this helps
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