St. Judes Road, Englefield Green
In the late 18th century the Green[1] was becoming attractive to the gentry (old landed families, Court favourites and members of the Regency hunting and racing class) as a rural oasis because of its proximity to Windsor and a good road to London and they began to build houses in its vicinity. In the 19th century bankers and stockbrokers also built houses in this area; in their case its rural attraction was enhanced by the growth of the railways which enabled them to commute easily and quickly to London. This was not, however, the area where the major development of Englefield Green took place. It was in the area which became known as The Sandpits (a large sandpit area from which sand began to be extracted from the early 19th century at the Harvest Road[2] end of Englefield Green) that the major expansion of the village occurred.
The emergence of St Judes Road as the ‘high street’ of Englefield Green as we know it today was a gradual process. Although some terrace houses were being built on a section of the road in the early 19th century the significant expansion of houses on it occurred in the last quarter of that century. Initially the expansion was primarily residential but by the end of the 19th century various types of business premises and other types of building had begun to appear. As the variety of these business premises grew St. Judes Road developed into a typical flourishing ‘high street’. In the course of the 20th century the road featured, as well as private residences (rows of terrace houses but also including a detached house known as Englehurst), a wide range of trades and businesses[3] (albeit sometimes changing hands or function) and, in addition, a school, a chemist, a bank, a church, a children’s home (Ashdene House), a small hospital (Cottage Hospital), a post office and a pub (The Holly Tree)
By the end of the 20th century the character of the road was undergoing significant changes. Private residences still existed (although Englehurst had been demolished and a housing estate with the same name built on its site) but most of the specialised trading premises which had existed at various times (see footnote 3 below) had disappeared and been taken over for different purposes (e.g. estate agents, restaurants, cleaning services, sale of pet food, a betting shop). Furthermore, other significant changes had taken place on St. Judes Road. The Post Office had been replaced by a block of flats; Ashdene House had ceased to be a children’s home and had been converted into a half-way house for homeless people; St Judes School had been re-located in Bagshot Road in 1967, following which the old school was demolished in 1984, a residential unit, Englefield Close, being built on its site; and the hospital (Cottage Hospital) was closed in 1985 and came into use as half-way house for the homeless.
At the present time St Judes Road still has a baker, newsagent and tobacconist, hairdressers, chemist, pub, church, and food shops (mini supermarkets but not traditional grocery shops) but it no longer has a bank (converted into office suites) and Ashdene House is awaiting redevelopment as a block of commercial flats. The old Cottage Hospital which was being used to house the homeless has now been refurbished and converted to a block of flats for commercial sale or letting. St Judes Road now seems likely to be subject to continual changes. Business premises are frequently changing hands and being converted for new purposes (e.g. recently a Funeral office, and a Beauty Parlour) and ever-increasing numbers of private dwellings are no longer occupied by their owners but are instead being let to tenants.
July, 2017
Items on display:
Views of the ‘High Street’ section of St Judes Road (accompanied by a brief note[4] on some of the buildings indicated by a street number.):
1. c1904.
St Judes Church. Situated in the centre of the village. The inspirational efforts of a Vicar of Egham, the Revd James Bewley Monsell, led to the building of this church in Englefield Green, begun in 1858 and consecrated in 1859. The architect was Edward Buckton Lamb and the building in mid-14th century style was completed by James Oades & Son, builders of Egham.
2. c1906.
Right hand side of post card .
Nos. 28 and 29. James Ledbrook & Son, Drapers and Outfitters[5]. Moved in 1912 to Nos. 31-32. (after Herbert Weller had vacated the premises) remaining there as a family business until 1961.
No. 30. George Weller, harness maker.
Nos. 31 and 32. Herbert Weller, General House and Furnishings’ Shop and Showroom.
3. c1906.
Nos 34-35. Ashdene House. Owned by Mr and Mrs Payne. Occupied by Miss Sophie Weisse until 1908. After the death of her husband in 1907 Mrs Payne sold the house to the Windsor Guardians who opened it as a Poor Law Children’s Home in 1911. By the end of the 20th century it had ceased to be a children’s home and been converted into a half-way house for homeless people. In the last two years it has been completely vacated and is awaiting redevelopment as a block of commercial flats.
4. c1908.
Left hand side of postcard.
No. 17. C.J. Collet’s barber’s shop [identifiable from the overhanging barber’s sign] Sold to Mr. P. Hayter who continued the business.
No. 18. Budgen’s Grocery Store which traded there until 1938.
No. 19. Skeggs, D. Furniture Stores.
5. c1908.
No. 98. Cottage Hospital. Built in 1879 and survived as a hospital until 1985 when it came into use as a half-way house for the homeless. In 2017 it was converted to a block of flats for sale or letting.
6. c1909.
Nos. 6-7. Englefield Green Voluntary Schools
In 1947 became a mixed school as a result of the amalgamation of the separate boys’ and girls’ sections, and in 1954 the transfer of children over the age of 11 to a senior secondary school in Egham took place.. St. Judes School became a Junior Mixed School; this school was re-located in Bagshot Road in 1967 and the old school was demolished in 1984, a residential unit, Englefield Close, being built on its site.
7. c1913
No. 64. Gilbert, J. & W., Stationers.
No. 66. Post Office. W. H. Walford, Postmaster.
8. c1915
No. 8. Clarke, R., Butcher. Became Clarke Brothers in 1922. Closed in 1989.
No. 9. Oliphant, A., Shoemaker. Shoe shop opened in 1913 and traded there until 1950.
No. 10. James, W., Greengrocer. Traded there from 1904 to 1930. [Shop with the blind in the centre of the post card]
No. 11. Hopkins, J. L. Baker and Confectioner.
No. 17. Hayter, P. Hairdresser.
No. 18. Budgen & Co., Grocers.
No. 19. Skeggs, D. Furniture Stores. [Shop with the blind in the far right of the postcard]
[1] The gentry who lived in the vicinity of the Green derived great benefit from the Enclosure Act of 1814 which left the Green ‘for the adornment of their residences’.
[2] The extraction of sand gradually extended west towards what ultimately became known as St. Jude Road and in the process the whole area, including St. Judes Road, became populated with a variety of private dwellings and business premises.
[3] During the 20th century there were at various times a baker, butcher, dressmaker, draper, boot and shoemaker, harness maker, coal merchant, fishmonger, ironmonger, florist, barber, hairdresser, builder, stationer, watchmaker, newsagent and tobacconist occupying premises on St Judes Road, and other business premises on the road were mostly shops involved in more general functions such as the sale of groceries.
[4] Based on a combination of information in official Directories of Egham (including Englefield Green), The Englefield Green Picture Book by Graham Dennis and Richard Williams (1992) and Englefield Green in Pictures by Graham Dennis (1994).
[5] “Ladies’, Gents’ and Childrens’ Boots in great variety” was also included in an advertisement for “James Ledbrook & Son, Drapers and Outfitters” in the Egham Directory for 1913.
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