Vol 11.6 STATION ROAD Part 1

Non-Hampton & Richmond Borough related posts.
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Les1949
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Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:59 pm

HAMPTON, AROUND AND ABOUT

Things you may not know, or didn’t know you knew!

No 6 STATION ROAD Part 1
No longer a Country Lane

This article was written way before anyone had really heard of Covid-19. It was supposed to be for the first game of the 2020/21 season, in front of supporters who would have, mostly strolled down Station Road to Beveree. Sadly this is not the case, however maybe these scribblings will serve as a reminder of what it is like!

So, as many people do – on their way to Beveree – you get off the bus and wander down the road to the ground. Do you notice if anything has changed or is everything the same as last week or last month? Hang on….that’s a new shop….what was there before? Don’t be surprised, as we all tend to fail to notice that something may have changed in our local area. So, what has changed and what was there before? For the purposes of this article I will concentrate on the stretch between the 111 Bus Stop and the Old Police Station – a path well-trodden.

St John’s Convenience Store occupies no’s 92/94. It would appear that there have long been shops occupying this site. No 92 was Hampton Stores in the 1960s (proprietor, W R Morris) then Hampton Mini-Market in the 1980s, later becoming Hampton Wines and then from the late 1990s to its current name. Next door No 94 was the Post Office until it relocated on the other side of Warfield Road.

The Worlds End Pub has been a presence in Station Road since the late 19th century. Any changes have involved licensees, and, since I originally started to write this, there has been such a change. Perhaps this may lead to a change in the way the pub operates – a bigger focus on food, perhaps?

No 82 appears to have always been some sort of café or bakers. Between 1960 and the early 80s it was a baker shop called Elizabeth Helps before becoming EMI Deli. For the past 25 years (is it that long?), Chinos Café has occupied the site. Chinos, run by the enthusiastic Bridget is well worth a visit and not just for the excellent breakfasts!

78 & 80 belonged to E W Bonfield & Son and up to the early 1980s was an Ironmongers (where can you find a decent hardware store now? The answer is Hampton Hill, High Street). No 78 is now used by Lavender, selling therapeutic remedies, whilst no 80 is now Universal Dry Cleaners.

76 has had various identities. A Toy shop until the late 1980s which morphed into an antique and period furniture establishment. Universal Dry Cleaners moved in (before switching to no 80 – who noticed that?), currently no 76 is Classico a hairdressing salon.

Nos 74 & 72 have probably seen more changes of late than any other properties in that stretch. Pecos who specialised in fireplaces and furniture occupied both (and indeed, at one time, no 70) before moving opposite the station (now no longer there either, having left the village entirely). Use Your Loaf Organics moved in before The Cheese and Wine Company took over. Both shops recently reverted to single occupancy. No 74 is now a nail bar – Hampton Nails & Beauty, whilst next door was ERS Exchange, an electronic repair service. ERS had been there less than a year, however it would appear that the recent lockdown has led to its closure and the shop is being re-fitted for another occupier.

At one time no 70 was a Gents & Boys Outfitters, B V Clarke, more recently the emphasis has been on handmade gifts and decorative items. Firstly, from 2005 by Pink Vanilla, now by Glorious – no doubt taking advantage of the internet to advertise their goods.

Then we come to the former Police Station (the third and last one in Hampton). Built in 1905 it closed a few years ago and now locals await the result of planning proposals as to what it will end up as. Initially thought to be for residential use, now possibly a Care Home – a growing industry considering the ageing population.

The last section is taken up with some very old properties starting with Queens Bench and Barrack Row. Then comes three cottages, 40, 42 &44 adjacent to Beaver Close, no 44 dates from the 17th century (these properties will be looked at in a later article).

Beaver Close first appears in 1968 and leads you into Beveree.

A short walk through history from the bus to the ground. More to follow!

The Old Historian
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