Smithford Street (inc. Ram Bridge)

Thanks for the good look round Neil, Ager's have good exposure on the corner there. Almost worth a fly over for the weekend.

We went to Pershore today Dream and of course my lady needed to go into Robin Elt shoe shop! We were shocked by the newspaper announcement in the window of the death of Robin Elt, aged 73 and the floral tribute was on show. His daughter however will take over as she is already part of the business - a family business for many years.

West Orchard, Market Square and Smithford St from Owen Owen Compare with post 386

Sorry Rob - had to load this one up as XL. Today's cracker, thanks to Debbie & Dean Nelson on FB - great image of looking west from Smithford Street down towards Fleet Street and Spon Street beyond, the City Arms Hotel on the right on the corner of West Orchard. Not seen this aspect before from that era and the detail of buildings especially to the left.

The river runs pretty much under the edge of the photograph so this view is mostly Fleet Street.

Is the photographer not standing in Smithford Street though? I thought the name changed at the junction with West Orchard?

I could be wrong but I think the name changed at the river. Alternatively there may have been a short stretch called Ram Bridge, like the Burges, but the bridge was originally building free on both sides of the road and isn't as big an area as the Burges. 'Smithford' is clearly a reference to a ford of the river near to a smithy. Not sure why Fleet Street got its name.

Helen, it wouldn't have been a short cut, would it, originally anywhere around there as in 'fleet' - as in rapid of movement. Just a thought, I would like to hit a jackpot at least once in my life!

I favour Fleet as in fast, but in the river rather than the roadway. I suppose it might have been where boats were moored but only from a time when there was a lot more water. I believe that there was a weir near the city wall, which takes the height off a river flow at a controlled point. Perhaps the section under Ram Bridge was steeper and faster at one point... although that might have made it less suitable as a ford. Or maybe it was named after Mr Fleet? Though it would have been Flete in old English. Of course the river at times gets very fast and finally floods. It was warm and wet in the Medieval era so floods may have been more common. Our recent flooding incidents are more a return to normal than a long term outlier. In the Roman era the area was boggy/a lake. A time when again it was warm. The Romans and the priories improved the drainage of the area and thus created useful fields out of marsh but at the same time increased the speed of the rivers. I have a wild theory that West Orchard changed its route as fords and bridges came and went. The road might have been a continuation towards St Mary's priory from Spon Street before the layout we recognise was set out. Thinking about it Flete might have been Flod and poorly recorded. So maybe it should be Flood Street? In other words - your guess is as good as mine

I visited my mum's last night and her partner Tony remembers playing 'pooh-sticks' on Ram Bridge post-war. He recalled the bridge stonework although looking at BFA it seems it was already all being covered over by 1950.

Thanks, Helen, at least your comments are a lot more logical than mine.

Ram bridge was swept away in a storm somewhere about 1830.

Perhaps it was re-built?

Having mentioned Lee Beesley & Co on Vicar Lane, I noticed that they had a place on Smithford Street - middle of the picture. The red cross is the entrance to Garden Row.