Cottage ‘slums’ demolished for road scheme

Up until the early 1960s, many houses could be found along Stour Street, albeit ancient and slightly run-down ones. The first of the above pictures dates from September 1960 and illustrates the type of housing that could once be found here. These cottages are at the top end of Stour Street and opposite the entrance to the tannery.

Today, these would be cherished and much soughtafter dwellings, but in the early 1960s, they were seen as slums.

Moreover, the widening of Stour Street was also on the agenda, making the condemnation of such properties very convenient for that road scheme.

Demolition of the houses featured here took place in 1962. The site of the jettied late 17th-century properties then became the Rosemary Lane surface car park, and still is today. However, houses are scheduled to rise once more on this site, and the Rosemary Lane car park is one of those destined to disappear in the next few years.

The double-fronted brick house of the early 19th century, at No 62a Stour Street, could never be described as a slum but, nevertheless, it came down with all the rest in 1962.

And for many years after that, its truncated ground floor walls protected an open garden area behind. This can be seen in the second photo, which dates from 1997.

The site of the brick house has since been redeveloped for housing. In fact, the entire strip of land behind has become part of the same housing scheme.

Old maps show us that this was once a lost medieval lane, entitled Ballock Lane.

And, although Ballock Lane has risen once more, the old name has not been retained, for some inexplicable reason!

Old houses in Stour Street in September 1960 and, right, the same scene in 1997