Sewall Highway

Can anybody tell me, why did Sewall Highway have a gap (orchards, etc.) between Dennis Road and Blackberry Lane. Would really love to know, if road was never built, or whether this part was bombed?

This is just a guess but maybe the local gardeners objected to having a road driven through the many allotments which occupied that area? Certainly up to 1945 domestic food production was a higher priority than new road building. Also read that the then newly-built Kenpas Highway was used as a military vehicle storage area during the war although I can't really see the point of that? Interesting to see from the aerial view on Google Earth that until after the war everything to the east of Sewall Highway was open countryside with just a few scattered villages.

Having lived in this area both before and after the war I know that development stopped with the outbreak of war. There were four or five houses built between Dennis Rd and Blackberry Lane but building stopped further down on the opposite side. In the opposite direction the same thing happened at the end of Hipswell Highway where the road reached the Binley Rd but stopped just short of joining leaving a dead end. Alan.

I lived in Sewall Highway from 1947 to 68. The part known as the allotments still split the road until about 56ish. A notable event was when Seckingtons hardwear store opposite the Devon pub, was gutted by fire about 1953 time. Valuable time was lost by the fire crews, who entered the Bell Green (wrong end) end of Sewall Highway, only to have to be diverted via Blackberry Lane before reaching the blazing shop.

I remember Lyng Hall all girls school being built. That was the beginning of the end for the open fields on the east of Sewall Highway. Soon after, Armscott Road was built, along with loads of houses & roads, stretching over to Wyken parish church. During the summer school holidays before the school was opened, I got into trouble for retrieving my kite from the grounds of the school. So odd that I may have gone down in history as the the first youngster to serve a detention. A boy at an all girls school! What a pip!!

I was born in Sewall Highway, and remember that the big open green on the cresent that was a bomb site as was the land where the Wheel pup is now we played for hours on them sites building dens and generaly having fun.

You must remember Underwoods newsagents on the corner of Purcell Road?

How far do you go back Greg???? I remember Underwoods. I married the youngest daughter. Archie used to burn the rubbish from the shop on the waste ground before the Wheel was built. And me and my wife are still up and running, well, walking, any road.

From mid 50`s to mid 60`s

I delivered newspapers (and several of my friends) for Underwoods from 1957 to 1959. Happy days, magic having an income at such a tender age. The old boy was a good age then, not sure how old because I was only 14, and you know how not very old folk look very old when one is young. Did he have an artificial leg, he certainly walked with quite a limp. Lovely guy though.

The newsagents changed hands about 1962. Archie Underwood sold it to my father. He sold it on in about 1965. Was always busy in those days with the Morris workers early morning changing shifts.

I have a feeling that the family continued with the other shop in Brixham Drive, for a while.

Yep, Greg you are right, Bert & Sheila carried on in Brixham Drive, and I soldiered on at the Henley Rd shop until 1991 when I sold up. Couldn't fight anymore!!! I'd been there since 1961

The reason Sewall Highway had a gap was because the allotments that were there were all privately owned and freehold. We owned one where they built the flats, and another in the main allotments near to Botts the seedsmen. Adrian

Thanks for that. Presumably the builders, or whoever, had to do a deal with each landowner. Many, many thanks.