Cottages pulled down in slum clearance

This week’s archive photograph dates from about 1935, and features three early 18th century cottages at number 62, 64 and 66 in St Peter’s Lane. Built on the edge of the former precinct to the Dominican Blackfriars, these humble cottages were built relatively cheaply. Brick was employed on the ground floor front elevation only and the rest of the house was timber-framed with facing in weatherboarding, tiles or, in this case, pebble-dashing.

These terraced houses extended along much of the east side of the lane and backed on to a common yard containing privies, washing lines and a huge iron mangle. The yard was enclosed at the back by a high brick wall.

In the mid-1930s, many of the ancient dwellings in St Peter’s Lane were identified as Slum Clearance Area No. 11.

This was part of a city-wide clearance scheme that only stopped because of the Second World War. It was not to resume again until 1958.

Demolition occurred in 1937 and the site remained empty until the early post-war years.

Then, single-storey prefabricated structures were put up on the cottage’s foundations.

These were subsequently used by the art college and can be seen in the second picture, of 1998. The prefabs were cleared away a few years ago to make way for a development of prestigious town houses.

With traditional Georgian-style frontages to the lane, these new houses were in demand as soon as the development was announced.

The 18th century wall running along the back of the yard still survives today as part of this latest scheme.

The 18th century cottages, pictured in 1935

Prefabricated huts, in 1998, used by the art college