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2018
Church Lane - Newton Road
A postcard around 1900 - before the Library or Council Buildings
looking back to the church
From the Church looking towards Newton under the arch built for Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1897

At first the lower end of the road was known as Church Lane and was just a way through to Back Way now known as Rectory Road. It was also where the toll house stood, at the side gate into the town.

By 1906 the open space was filled with a Carnegie Library and the new Council Buildings. The building behind the cart (centre) was demolished to widen the road in 1923, and then the church wall was set back in 1959 as the next section was widened.

in about 1910, looking up Newton Road
No. 1 Ward's Stores built in 1898 - c1910 looking up Church Lane

As it became built up it was included in the road to the village of Newton Bromswold some four miles distant.

c1910
c1908 after the Council Buildings and Library 1905/6 - before 1923 widening
right: 1908 Richard Woolley, a shoe machinist, had traded next to the library
for a short time, before Ashford & Campion built their new factory in 1910.

From Trade Directories, the first pawnbroker in Rushden seems to be F Watchorn who was listed in the 1893 Stephens Directory.

Next H Beaverstock was listed in 1898 at "Church House" but not listed in the 1901 census record. In 1903 he was listed at Newton Road, in 1906 at No. 2 Newton Road. This property is next to the Church, so Church House.

It was once the home of the Parish Clerk, Joseph Packwood and family. It was also a tailor's shop for George Packwood.

Church House No2

 Newton Lane c1910

21 Newton Road
The shop at 21 Newton Road & Mrs Litchfield
At 19 was Mr Foster Vorley.
1910 advert in Phillipson's Directory
The shop at 21 Newton Road on the corner of Rectory Road, is the last property in the former Church Lane. It was taken by Jeremiah Litchfield who moved here from High Street. Later Billy Keller took it over as a greengrocery. In more recent times it was Bates' furniture - Mr Bates made bespoke kitchen furniture and wardrobes. When he left Sarah took over the premises to extend her babrber shop business at 19 Newton Road, into a ladies' hairdressers and beauty shop as well as the gents' barbers. After building an extension at number 21, Sarah has left no. 19.

Numbering of streets was first done in 1898, but in 1951 many of the numbers were changed by plus 16 (44 became 60, 46 became 62 and so on, but further up the street by only 6 so 116 became 122).


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