The closure of the Bridewell

Suburban estates for the mass market 190

The closure of the Bridewell The land south of Bridewell Lane was part of Barton Farm. On the corner with Hyde Street was an L-shaped block of eight small farm cottages which had a rateable value of £5 p.a.. They are shown on Milner’s map (Figure 5.9) and so date back to the ownership of Thomas Knight, or possibly to the Duke of Bedford. The cottages were roughly rendered, had paired doorways, and one window up and down. They were occupied by employees of Barrow Simonds - shepherd, farm servant or labourer and gardener. King Alfred Place was the northern limit of Barton Farm and this part of the Abbey’s former estate was still intact. With the exception of Nos. 66 and 67, Barrow Simonds owned all the land and properties south to Hyde House. Henry Collis was a dairyman who farmed at Headbourne Worthy and rented a stone house and shop (No. 68 Hyde Street). Ye Olde Hyde Dairy was most probably established soon after William Simonds took over the farm. A 1907 photograph of the employees, their horses and two-wheeled milk floats proclaimed ‘Established nearly a century ago’. Dressed in Sunday best with flowers in their button holes, the men stood proudly beside the shoulder high horses, clutching milk churns and two silver cups won in a parade.3

Figure 8.1: No. 68 Hyde Street

©Christine Grover & Victorian Heritage Press

Suburban estates for the mass market 191 Development east of Hyde Street began in 1850 with the sale of the Bridewell site following an act to allow the disposal of prisons. The site consisted of 3¼ acres, described as ‘valuable productive land with most substantial residence,’ which was ‘part of Hyde Abbey and lately used as the County Bridewell.’ It appears that the Bridewell had been pulled down, but the Governor’s house remained. The advert proposed a range of potential uses; either as a sole residence or for development or cultivation: This property is most advantageous situate close to the rapidly increasing City of Winchester, and within a very short distance of the Railway Station, and is capable of being rendered, at moderate expense, one of the most desirable private residences in the vicinity. It also offers an eligible opportunity to parties requiring extensive premises for business purposes, while the land, from its desirable position, and highly productive quality, is available as building ground, or for potential cultivation. 4 The property included a chapel, coach house and stables. On the ground floor was a dining room, kitchen, washhouse, pantry, offices and servants rooms. There were cellars and wine vaults below. On the first floor was a dining room, best bedroom and WC and on the second floor, three bedrooms and attic or store room over. The property was bordered by Deane’s land on the north and north-west and Barrow Simonds’ land on all other sides. Charles Witham Benny, an alderman, purchased the property and land for £1,350, equivalent to £415 per acre. Land was conveyed to Jesse Carter in 1857 and 1860. 5 Carter was an important Winchester builder who employed 49 men and 5 boys in 1861, and also stood as a town councillor. By 1871 Carter had built 19 properties in King Alfred Place. Two terraces (Nos. 4 to 8 and Nos. 15 to 20) rated at £10 10s. p.a. were built with long front gardens and a back yard (Figure 8.1). The Carters owned the shorter terrace and the rate books cited Henry White as the owner of the longer terrace which backed on to one of the numerous streams in the area. White may have provided financial help – there was a Henry White, a nurseryman who lived in a large house in Christchurch Road. The three pairs of semi-detached houses (Nos. 9 to 14) were larger with a value of £12 p.a.. Four were owned by Northbrook and two by Blake. 6 The layout of the development is unusual with long gardens on the south (Nos. 4 to 8) and east (Nos. 9 to 20). The Victorian builders may have been avoiding difficult building terrain. The former Bridewell had been recently demolished and foundations and rubble may have not been completely removed. Abbey remains were also best avoided. Four of Simonds’ cottages were re-designated Nos. 22 to 25 King Alfred Place. Two small cottages on the edge of the Bridewell site which belonged to Charles March Deane became Nos. 1 and 2 King Alfred Place. The Deanes were long-time residents of Hyde and Thomas Deane had acquired the glebe land either side of the Mill Ditch Stream. The history of No. 3 King Alfred Place, a detached house with garden, and the large plot lying to the north which consisted of a cottage with stabling and stores, is not known. Both belonged to Mr A Smith in 1912. All these properties are clearly marked in Figure 8.1.



Figure 8.2: King Alfred Place 1873

Source: O.S. Map 1st Edition 1873 An interesting layout – perhaps avoiding sacred ground

Initially the Hayles family had the legal ownership of the majority of the new houses in King Alfred Place as a result of the need for security for loans. Edward, a retired grocer who lived comfortably in Edgar Road, owned Nos. 3 to 8, Charles owned Nos. 9 to 14, and James owned Nos. 15 to 21. In 1881 Blake (a carpenter who built houses in Greenhill and Western Roads on West Hill) had repaid the Hayles the loan needed to build his two houses. Carter took a longer period to repay his loan, but five houses were in his name by 1912. They were designed for the better-off working classes and this is reflected by rateable values of between £10 10s. p.a. and £13 p.a.. In 1881, the houses were tenanted by shopmen, cabinet makers, a hotel porter, labourers, a police constable, a grocer’s clerk and a parish clerk.



Figure 8.3: King Alfred Place

The terraced and semidetached properties have long front gardens and a small backyard. Some backed on to the Mill Stream. The Abbey’s stone walls and bridge can be seen in the top right picture.
