Forum Topic

Local history questions - Church Road

I am trying to find old photos and references to Church Road and would be grateful for any help. So far I have found out that the An Noor Cultural Centre used to be the British Legion.  The Acton Gardens marketing offices used to be a betting shop and before that a hosiery owned by Ravilious and Son, father of the artist Eric Ravilious who was born on Churchfield Road.  Apparently that shop was still there right up to the eighties.And I have learnt that there was a pub at no. 79, the Prince of Wales, which was converted into a block of six flats, all of which makes sense .  However, the only photo I can find of this pub show it as being at the junction of Avenue Road which is some way down from the location of the flats at no. 79.  And the caption also refers to this junction.  It can’t have been in both places!  Can anybody help with photos or memories?  Thanks in advance.

Alastair Banton ● 1545d13 Comments

You can see the Price of Wales pub on this aerial photo from 1938:https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW059942This one has church Road top lefthttps://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW028475You can zoom right in on these photos, although I think you need to be registered.

David Scott ● 1538d

On the photo, can you see Hawkins grocery shop that would be on the left

David Swallow ● 1538d

Thanks, Peter.  The possibilities of the site are opening up.

Alastair Banton ● 1540d

I set the right hand top 'Category' dialogue box to 'Bing..' for modern maps - I prefer 'OpenStreetMap'. Then I set the left hand 'Category' to 'Great Britain' to be offered a range of 'old' maps, including 6" and 25" OS maps from around the 1890s.  You have to explore a bit to discover what's on offer.

Peter Evans ● 1540d

Thanks Peter, an interesting site but unless I’m missing something it doesn’t seem to reach beyond the second half of the twentieth century.

Alastair Banton ● 1541d

I find this website useful for comparing present day with old maps: https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/ 

Peter Evans ● 1541d

I meant App Store, of course.

Alastair Banton ● 1541d

As far as I know, Judi, it’s not old, just not updated.  I downloaded the ap from the Apple iPad i-store a year or so back.  Try it and see what you get.

Alastair Banton ● 1542d

Is that old A-Z map online, Alistair? If so, can you post a link? I'd love to take a look.

Judi Rose ● 1542d

‘A little bit lost’ - story of my life!  But thanks Vin.  Now I’ve had another look at the A-Z map and the photo I can see how that works.  Gosh, how the area has transformed over recent years.

Alastair Banton ● 1544d

You are still a little bit lost, Alastair: the women are on Avenue Road, right at the junction. If they were in Ragley Close you would be seeing the pub full on from the front.

Vin Miles ● 1544d

Vin, thanks.  It’s clear now.  I’ve been looking at the same photo you mention which is misleadingly captioned with a reference to the junction of Church Road and Avenue Road.  The women with the pram would seem to be on Ragley Close which no longer exists but is still shown on the online A-Z map.  That area is of course now part of the Acton Gardens development.

Alastair Banton ● 1544d

The Prince of Wales pub was never at the junction with Avenue Road, but there is a 1970s photo taken at the junction showing some women with a pram, and the pub can be seen in the background, some 85 yards away.

Vin Miles ● 1545d