CHAS member Noreen Jones has sent us this photo of Chiswick High Road, taken from Turnham Green in 1863.
Noreen lived with her parents 1926-1939 in the house 3rd from the right side of the Crown & Anchor (368 Chiswick High Road) – there is a copy of photo in the Chiswick Library archive. The lovely Georgian (I think?) terrace has largely disappeared, although you can get a glimpse of the pediment above Greggs; the only building still there is the Crown and Anchor, although how it’s changed! Here are photos of it then and now for comparison.
Doreen says ”The pediment shown in this photograph of 1863 is still to be seen, when one stands by the War Memorial, where once there was a pond. Fixed firmly to the wall by the entrance to the Lending Library, but without any attribution, there hangs a very poor quality oil painting, the origin possibly of the photograph.
When I was a child, I lived in one of the small terraced houses under the pediment. All had originally a front door opening onto a tiny front garden with a wicket fence; but long before, the front gardens had been swallowed up by individual shops which existed I think until after WW2. Each small house had a narrow hall with two rooms on one side, and a kitchen with cast-iron range at the back. Up narrow stairs there was a small bedroom over the kitchen, no fireplace; and up again, two rooms. No bathroom of course, and an outside privy at the end of a tiny yard/garden. Woolworths supplied seeds at 3p a packet; but no-one understood the need for decent soil. I cannot remember any advice on “the wireless” until wartime encouraged people to grow their own food. Very little was known about the use of herbs (except mint and parsley) and olive oil and garlic were not considered at all. Very few working class people had access to the information they needed, or free time to use it if they had,
The present St Thomas’ Council Estate stands upon what was once the sports field for the staff and students of St Thomas’ Hospital; but that was dug up to be made into allotments during the war. I have lived in Chiswick most of my life and seen many changes.
Further information can be gleaned from the very helpful and knowledgeable staff who run the Chiswick Archives and Local Studies at Chiswick Library: 020 8994 1008.”
Do you have any pictures of bygone Chiswick? We’d love to see them!
Fascinating website. Well laid out and full of interesting and informative news!
Very interesting!
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