Old Photographs: The Rubber Works
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Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
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Views of the works of the Spencer Moulton rubber company’s Kingston Mills, mostly from just after the First World War.
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Read MoreExplore Bradford: Belcombe
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Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
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Newtown continues westwards in the direction of Avoncliff, Turleigh and Winsley as Belcombe Road.
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Wellclose House appears to be a large five-bay...
Read MoreThe Museum Collection: Cobblers and Cordwainers
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Bradford on Avon Museum, Wiltshire
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Cordwainers made boots, shoes and other articles from leather and are named after the Spanish city of Córdoba, which was famed for its leather workers. Generally they just referred to...
Read MoreOld Photographs: The Town Bridge
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Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
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Click on the thumbnail photographs for a bigger view
Read MoreOld Photographs: The Priory
The Priory was a late medieval mansion with later additions at the upper end of Market Street in Bradford on Avon.
The earliest parts were built in the latter part of the 15th century by Thomas Rogers, who was Sargeant-at-Law, a high-ranking legal official. The house would then have consisted of an open hall with wings at each end and a porch opening on to what...
Read MoreSt Margaret’s Street, western side
St Margaret’s Street runs from the southern end of the Town Bridge. It formerly continued on the line that is now called Frome Road, but nowadays it turns off left behind Hall’s Almshouses and other buildings along what was Besoar Street. It takes its name from a now lost medieval St Margaret’s Hospital, which was founded in 1235.
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St Margaret’s Street, eastern side
St Margaret’s Street runs from the southern end of the Town Bridge. It formerly continued on the line that is now called Frome Road, but nowadays it turns off left behind Hall’s Almshouses and other buildings along what was Besoar Street. It takes its name from a now lost medieval St Margaret’s Hospital, which was founded in...
Read MoreOld Photographs: St Margaret’s Street
Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
see St Margaret’s Street today
Looking up St Margaret’s Street towards Hall’s Almshouses. In this view it is clear that the road continued into what is now Frome Road, with Besoar Street turning off on the left towards Trowbridge. On the left the Midland Railway Office had been the French Horn public...
Read MoreOld Images: Silver Street
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Bradford on Avon Museum, Wiltshire
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Click on the thumbnail pictures for a bigger view.
Walter Henry Willson’s chemist shop, his assistant and sons in the 1890s. It had been opened by George Marks in 1828 and still retained his name above the door after...
Read MoreOld Photographs: Newtown
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Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
Look at Newtown today
The Bell Inn as it was in about 1960 complete with its 3-dimensional sign of a bell on a wrought iron bracket. It closed just a few years later and was converted into flats.
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Old Photographs: The Shambles
As one of the most picturesque corners of Bradford on Avon the Shambles figures strongly in old postcards. This was the area of the medieval market place and would originally have been temporary stalls (Old English scammel) put up for market and fair days. Eventually permanent stalls came, followed by houses. The Market Hall, with Town Hall on the upper floor was on the...
Read MoreOld Photographs: Street scenes
Views of the town’s streets tend to be from postcards or photographs taken by visitors or those interested in the picturesque. Photographs of the Town Bridge and Saxon Church are most popular of course. Images of the less picturesque parts are rare, but these are the most likely to have changed.
Market Street Silver Street The Shambles Church Street The Town... Read MoreOld photographs: Market Street
Look at Market Street today
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Looking up Market Street from outside the Swan Hotel in about 1900. The traffic consists of a horse-drawn wagon, perhaps laden with sacks of wool, accompanied by two pedestrians. The Town Hall (left) has a nice gas light, but the stonework...
Read MoreOld photographs of Bradford: general views
Views over the town in the early 20th century.
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A view from the fields west of Barton Farm, looking northwards towards the Wine Street and Budbury area of the town. Just right of the centre is the Wilkins Brothers’ brewery with a smoking chimney. Above the brewery are cottages in Tory Place that...
Read MoreBakers and Confectioners
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Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
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The delivery van of baker H.J. Penny, outside Christchurch in Bath Road
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Bakers used to be found on almost every street in the town and villages. The...
Read MoreThe Bradford Manor Charter of 1001
Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
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A copy of the grant by King Æthelred II gives details of the boundary of the manor in 1001
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The letter ð in the Anglo Saxon text represents a voiced “th”, as in “this”
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The Manor of Bradford
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Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
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In the Saxon period Bradford must have been part of the extensive estates which had been conquered from the British natives following the collapse of Roman rule. They were the property of the King of Wessex in the early days and they lay in a frontier zone with the...
Read MoreThe Bradford Hundred
A Hundred was the administrative division below that of the Shire, or County. The name was probably originally related to the area of land nominally required to support a hundred eligible families. Hundreds and Shires came into being in the Saxon period, perhaps as early as the 7th century.
The Bradford Hundred Court was held by the Abbess of Shaftesbury, but was in fact presided over...
Read MoreBradford Hundred Timeline
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Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
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c2000 BC: Early Bronze Age burial at Jugs Grave, Inwood
7th century BC: Early Iron Age Budbury hilfort
late 3rd century: Bradford and Atworth Roman villas built
652: King Cenwalh fought at Bradanforda be Afne
705: A monastery at Bradford...
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