Our Pavement

ROADS AND TRACKS.

OUR PAVEMENT.

We are very lucky in Berwick to have pavements through much of the village. And our pavements have their own history.

Mr Ernest Terah Hooley (a fascinating man – look under “Landowners” in the village website) bought Berwick as part of a large land purchase in 1896. Straight away he started restorations and improvements, one of which was to put in the pavement. The village was sold in 1898.

From the Sale Catalogue “..Village of Berwick St James … clean street with paved footway fringed with picturesque cottages…”

This pavement on the west side of the road, ended outside the Reading Room (it is said that is the point at which he went bankrupt). It ran down the right hand side of the village in front of the cottages as far as Lodge Cottage (the entrance up to Berwick House). 

It appears that the west pavement from Berwick House south to the river wasn’t there for at least another 25 years, probably added at the same time as the pavement by the church.

The pavement on the eastern side of the road is rather patchy even now. The pavement outside the church and Old School (now Gryphon Cottage) and Rose Cottage seems to have been built in the early 1930’s.

The pavement running from the Dairy House around the corner to what is now the Guide HQ (then the New School) was probably put in for the school, which opened on 14th January 1937.

When was the pavement extended beyond the Reading Room?  It seems to be after the Second World War, perhaps when North View was built – the first four in 1949 and the second two in the late 1960’s.

I would be very interested to know when any of these pavements were made, and see photographs which show them. If you have any information please contact the website.

Written and researched by Nicky Street