A stroll down New Road - Odds 175 to Barton Way
Map Data: Purple - Early Cottage Names / Blue - Current Cottage Names / Green - Buildings on 1880 OS Map / Pink - Buildings since 1914 OS Map
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The last shop in this parade is No. 175 (numbers 171 and 173 appear no longer to exist), and, although it may have been refurbished, I suspect the shell is the original.
It is listed in the 1891 census under the name of “Rowan Cottage” occupied by a “Collin Beasley” who was said to be “living on his own means”. |
Number 175 in 2006
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Kelly’s 1901, 1910/11, 1919/20 and 1930 all list it as “Frederick Jackson, Butcher” so it has been used in this trade for a good many years.
The adjacent advert is from the 1914 Peacocks Trade Directory |
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Sometime between 1940 and 1966 it became “W Gadsden and Son” advertising “home killed meat”. This name was also listed in both the 1968 and 1974 Kelly’s Directory and was still advertising in the St Oswald’s church magazine in 1978, adding “fresh poultry and capons” to its fare.
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By 1988 the same magazine was advertising “Hirons, Family Butchers and Poulterers”.
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It then became Croxley Meats and then in 2014 Butler and Sons Quality Family Butchers, so carrying on a long history as a butcher’s shop until it closed down in 2019.
The occupier informed me in 2008 that, when he commenced working there for Hiron’s, the shop still had the original slaughter house at the rear. There were rails in the ceiling from which the carcasses were hung and channels formed in the floor to remove the blood. This was all demolished when the cold rooms were extended at the back of the shop. |
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There is also anecdotal evidence that, at some unspecified time, a Mr. Mead sold wet fish from a table in his garden in one of the nearby cottages. The fish were gutted and cleaned in his scullery on the premises.
In the 1891 census, the owners of the cottages in this area, which would have been numbered 163 to 173, had widely differing occupations.
In No. 163 was Henry Gibson a General Labourer; No. 165 was James Batchelor a Ploughman;
No. 167 Sofia King “living on her own means”; No. 169 William Garland, a Boatman (same name and possibly the same person who later ran the Fish Shop at No. 115); No. 171 Charles Puddifoot another general labourer and No. 173 William Gurnett a watercress labourer.
Nos. 177 to 181 are on the 1891 census under the name 1 to 3 Rye Cottages.
In the 1891 census, the owners of the cottages in this area, which would have been numbered 163 to 173, had widely differing occupations.
In No. 163 was Henry Gibson a General Labourer; No. 165 was James Batchelor a Ploughman;
No. 167 Sofia King “living on her own means”; No. 169 William Garland, a Boatman (same name and possibly the same person who later ran the Fish Shop at No. 115); No. 171 Charles Puddifoot another general labourer and No. 173 William Gurnett a watercress labourer.
Nos. 177 to 181 are on the 1891 census under the name 1 to 3 Rye Cottages.
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The next pair, Nos. 183 & 185 were shown as being present on the 1871 O.S. map and are listed in the 1891 census under the name of Albert Cottages – both of these names appear to have dropped out of use.
Although Nos. 183 & 185 look fairly new, I suspect that they may well be the originals which have had a bit of a face lift. |
Numbers 183 and 185 in 2006
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The Croxley Library was opened in July 1966 on the site of two large cottages and an adjoining orchard. The current location of the library (and Red Cross Centre) is shown superimposed on the adjacent extract of the 1914 OS plan.
These two houses would have been numbered 199 and 201 and, although, like all of the others, they were not numbered in the 1891 census, they were included and we calculate that No. 199 was occupied by John Overton a Jobbing Gardener and No. 201 by Gertrude Holdish, “living on her own means”. |
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There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that, in later years, just prior to their demolition, one of the houses was used as a hairdressers, with men using the front door and women the back.
The library was destroyed by fire in December 1992. The adjacent photograph from the Three Rivers Museum shows the state of the library the day after the fire. |
Destroyed by fire - December 1992
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Croxley Library in 2006
The library was rebuilt in 1994 and its current address is actually Barton Way, NOT New Road.
Barton Way is situated between the Library and No. 209 New Road. The road was built in the 1930s on land purchased from Parrotts Farm. It is named after Charles Barton-Smith, manager of the Croxley Mills from 1895 to 1918. It is now known, however, that he was christened just plain Charles Smith. The “Barton” may have been a second Christian name but it is more likely that it was “created”, making him sound a bit grander as promotion came his way. Over the years it became adopted as a double-barrelled surname and his children all carried the surname Barton-Smith.
In Barton Way, opposite the library entrance, was a marble Celtic cross, salvaged from the Mill on its demolition in the 1980s. Along with a bronze memorial tablet, it had commemorated the employees of Dickinsons who were killed in both world wars. In 2006 there is an area of hedge which is cut back and looks as if it might have been the site of the cross, which for a while was moved into the garden of the adjacent house for safe keeping. The bronze tablet was fixed to the south wall of All Saints Church and a Garden of Remembrance created in front
Barton Way is situated between the Library and No. 209 New Road. The road was built in the 1930s on land purchased from Parrotts Farm. It is named after Charles Barton-Smith, manager of the Croxley Mills from 1895 to 1918. It is now known, however, that he was christened just plain Charles Smith. The “Barton” may have been a second Christian name but it is more likely that it was “created”, making him sound a bit grander as promotion came his way. Over the years it became adopted as a double-barrelled surname and his children all carried the surname Barton-Smith.
In Barton Way, opposite the library entrance, was a marble Celtic cross, salvaged from the Mill on its demolition in the 1980s. Along with a bronze memorial tablet, it had commemorated the employees of Dickinsons who were killed in both world wars. In 2006 there is an area of hedge which is cut back and looks as if it might have been the site of the cross, which for a while was moved into the garden of the adjacent house for safe keeping. The bronze tablet was fixed to the south wall of All Saints Church and a Garden of Remembrance created in front
