Story of streets part 2
But what of these four or more straight paved streets that Leland found on his visit to Loughborough in the early-mid 1500s, and which were mentioned in Part 1 of this story? To find out a little more, we need to go back to the 1800s when pieces that appeared in the local newspapers delve into the history of Loughborough and some of its streets.
Writing in the ‘Melton Mowbray Mercury and Oakham and Uppingham News’ in 1882 (1), the Rev. William George Dimock Fletcher began his article, entitled ‘Chapters in the History of Loughborough, VI. – Loughborough street names’ referring to the visit made by Leland as he passed through Loughborough.
Dimock Fletcher had been apprenticed to Cradock and Woolley, a firm of solicitors on Sparrow Hill in Loughborough from around 1867, after he had finished his education at Bromsgrove Grammar School. Once this apprenticeship was completed, in 1874 Dimock Fletcher was accepted to study at St Edmund Hall, at Oxford University. He later took up religious positions in Oxford, Hammersmith, and Leicester before becoming Vicar of St Michael in Shrewsbury.
As well as his vocation within the established church, Dimock Fletcher was a prolific writer of local histories, and his early association with Loughborough led to him writing a number of pieces about the town, including ‘The Rectors of Loughborough’, the ‘Historical Handbook to Loughborough’ and ‘Chapters in the History of Loughborough’, of which the aforementioned newspaper article was one chapter.
When considering Leland’s '4 faire strates or mo, well pavid’ Dimock Fletcher suggests these are Baxter Gate, Church Gate, High Street and Swan Street, but also that one of them might have been Wood Gate. Given that Leland said ‘or mo’, it is quite possible that Wood Gate was indeed one of these.
Later in his article, Dimock Fletcher talks about Baxter Gate, one of those ‘4 faire strates’. He suggests that Baxter Gate, takes its name from the Scottish word for ‘baker’, the street being so-named as the bakehouse in the heart of the old town was situated on Sparrow Hill – coincidentally, in a property recently occupied by solicitors Cradock and Woolley, and at the time of writing (1882) by Mr Aitken.
According to Dimock Fletcher, the meaning of Church Street – which is probably that now known as Church Gate – and of High Street – at one time known as High or Hygh Gate – is self-explanatory.
Dimock Fletcher also follows up on Swan Gate: what we today call Swan Street was once known as Swan Gate, and he suggests there might have been a swannery at the far end of the street.
Dimock Fletcher has a simple explanation for the naming of Wood Gate:
“Wood Gate was the road which led towards the woods and forest.”Since at its one end Wood Gate joins with Pinfold Gate, the direction of the woods and forest must be out along the Wood Brook, heading up to Nanpantan. Burleigh Woods and Holywell Woods are off to the right, while slightly further up towards Nanpantan lie The Outwoods, and Bluebell Woods, to the left. Continuing up through Nanpantan places one in the Charnwood Forest area.
Dimock Fletcher has thus discussed a possible five ‘faire strates’: Baxter Gate; Church Gate; High Gate; Swan Gate and Wood Gate. But might there have been even more than five such streets?
Until it was moved, the town pinfold, a pound into which stray animals would be rounded up, was at the junction of Sparrow Hill, and what is now known, for reasons that are now evident, Pinfold Gate. One has to wonder if this road was in fact one of Leland’s ‘mo’ streets.
Returning to the text of his article, Dimock Fletcher goes on to say that these streets didn’t remain ‘welle pavid’ - well paved - for long, and by the middle of the eighteenth century they were difficult to travel along. At this point Dimock Fletcher refers to a ‘History of Loughborough’ which appears to have been serialised in the Loughborough Monitor from 1864 onwards, but which appears to be incomplete, in which Goadby talks about the
“blocks of stone as big as wheelbarrows lay about … [the streets] … as late as the end of the last century (i.e. 18th)”Having shared some of Goadby’s commentary on Loughborough roads, Dimock Fletcher then investigates some of the names of the Loughborough streets and what they might mean. He suggests the meaning of some names – like The Rushes, The Cherry Orchard, the Nottingham, Leicester, and Ashby Roads – are self-explanatory. By contrast, he feels the need to explain the origin of a number of other street names.
In December 1792, the Devonshire Militia were ready to battle against the French in the Revolutionary Wars that saw Britain and several other countries opposing France’s changing social and political landscape. The Devonshire Militia were at one time stationed in Loughborough, where they developed the area around what is now known as Devonshire Square.
At the time when the Lords of the Manor of Loughborough were the Earls of Huntingdon, their estate was centred around the parish church area. As well as the manor house – which is now an Italian restaurant – the grounds contained a small park, and rabbit warrens, according to Dimock Fletcher, amounting to about 40 acres. Dimock Fletcher also writes that some of this land was previously known as Conny Grees or Coneries.
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, the word ‘coney’ is related to the rabbit, and might mean either the skin or fur of the rabbit; a rabbit that is bred, sold or prepared for food; a rabbit over the age of one, or a representation of a rabbit in heraldry. Which all serves to explain why the little street between the end of Baxter Gate (near the old post office) and one part of Nottingham Road (where the new flats are that have replaced the Royal George pub) is called The Coneries.
These are just a few of the streets that Dimock Fletcher considers in his newspaper article.
Return to Part 1 of the Story of streets
(1) ‘Melton Mowbray Mercury and Oakham and Uppingham News’, 30 November 1882. pg.6
You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follows: Dyer, Lynne (2020). Story of streets part 2. Available from: https://lynneaboutthestreetsofloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/11/story-of-streets-part-2.html [Accessed 4 December 2020]
Lynne
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