Rushden Research Group: Crabb Street

Crabb Street

c1910 looking up towards the Baptist Church in Park Road

Corner at the foot of Crabb Street.
Left is the Co-op. Right is High Street South high causeway.

Townsend's site looking towards Crabb Street c1950 and a York Bros bus

The first part of Crabb Street is steep, towards Co-op Row. The road then turns south where Walter Sargent's factory stood (now flats), and turns east into the main street which leads to Park Road and the Baptist Church seen facing down the road.


	left - end view of this factory unit, with Walter Sargent's main factory adjoining at 7.

Taken in 2009 from an upstairs window of one of the houses facing the factory above.

These workshops were for shoe work done at home.

By WWI most work was transferred into the factories.

Behind is a rear access path, and a rear view of houses on High Street South causeway.

nos 44 - 80

Memories of Mollie Smith (nee Houghton):

Crabb Street was a really happy, friendly place to live. Everybody knew each other and were always ready to help out. There were quite a few children of similar ages and during daylight hours we all played out in the street together. Sometimes the children from Co-op Row would join us. We often had the skipping rope across the road. With so little traffic there were few interruptions.

A sweet shop at 92 Crabb Street, owned by Mrs. Litchfield in 1940 - we could only look and hope for some sweets. Number 82 was a general store run by Mrs. Balls, 45 the baker, Mr. Lyne and 32 the fried fish shop owned by Mr. Essam in 1940. The Spiritual Church at the end of Crabb Street used to fascinate us. We would try to peer in through the darkened windows to see the "spirits".

The shoe factories noise and the smell of leather would hang in the air. At dinner times and home times the street would bustle with people, always rushing past.

42 Crabb Street decorated with a St John Ambulance roundel at the top, for the 1953
Coronation. Bill Houghton lived there.


Rosebery Terrace was built in 1884 Nos 74-80 Crabb Street - the plaque is above the gate to the 'entry' which gives access to the rear gardens and yard areas.


From a 1919 photo 78-90 Crabb Street 84-90 now demolished	82 Crabb Street in 2007 - it is now the last house The two signs, for Colmans Starch and Rowntrees Cocoa, are on the right side of the shop, kept by Mr Balls in WWII.

Nos 84-92 and the General Store of Mrs D M Houghton and her daughter Yvonne


Demolition came after some years of threat - in 1980. Rear view - Cunnington's factory windows far right. Note Mrs Houghton's shop at the top of the street had a side window too, and the long outhouses. Many houses had similar outhouses as a workshop or scullery or for storage.

The land where this terrace was demolished has been left as a car parking area.

Opposite this last terrace was the Cunnington Bros. shoe factory.
This has stood empty and the windows boarded for a number of years.

Crabb Street 1919

1910 Valuations

Street Shrine

1986

Street Surveys & Notes