I fondly remember visiting my grandparents at their Hilly Road home called “Sunrae”. I particularly remember the outside toilet and the cesspit ditch! They grew their own vegetables and had fruit trees, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats and budgies. As I remember they were very happy living there until they were forced out by the compulsory purchase of the land.
My baby brother, who died at three weeks of age in 1944, is buried at St Nicholas Church.
Hilly Road residents Sarah and George Hunt
"Sunrae" cottage front view
"Sunrae" cottage back view
Sarah Hunt
George Hunt
George and Sarah Hunt in the garden at "Sunrae"
George, Sarah Hunt and me in the garden at "Sunrae"
Me with my mother and father.
Me with my grandfather George Hunt, (the shed to the right of me was the toilet!)
My grandmother Sarah Hunt with dog Chum and pet budgies.
The darts medal won by my father in the Laindon Challenge Cup in 1937.
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Paul lovely photos… yes Hilttop Road connected to Hilly Road and is still there today along with Sunrae’s plot, its all very over grown. Hilly Road is still there to, none of the roads were much more than a track so I read.
Further to my own last comment, I have looked on Google Maps and it shows the upper end as Hilly Road and the lower end as Hilltop Road. It doesn’t show it connected to Church Hill but that always was an unmade road as I remember.
I recently looked at the 1939 census records for my grandparents Sarah and George Hunt and found the address described as Hilltop Road. Does anyone know if it was ever known as that or is the census record an error?
So glad to find this, it’s intrigued me to find a road sign where there is no road. Did Hilly Road cover the same land as St Nicholas Lane or did it go back towards the Church? Does it appear on any maps?
Last time I drove down St Nicholas Lane, about 2 years ago, I noticed that the road sign for Hilly Road was still in place even though there is no road there nor has been for many years !!!
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