Author Archives: hurdler46
The Road to Cranham – Part 1 South Side
It’s almost half a mile from the main Upminster crossroads eastwards along St Mary’s Lane to the parish boundary with Cranham and although this now forms a continuous stretch of shops and houses, a century ago the stretch of road … Continue reading
The hidden history of Harold Court
Where in Upminster parish was a building erected as a gentleman’s house, that became a children’s home, a “lunatic asylum”, TB sanatorium, local hospital, education college and now flats? Give up? It’s Harold Court, close to the northern extremity of … Continue reading
Historic Upminster Hill
The stretch of St Mary’s Lane running westwards from the main crossroads towards Hornchurch, running down Upminster Hill to the River Ingrebourne at Upminster Bridge, is an area steeped in history, with the greatest concentration of old and listed buildings … Continue reading
Upminster’s Victorian Scandal: Rev P M Holden’s life and times
On this day, 19th January, in 1873, now 143 years ago, the congregation assembled as usual to worship at Upminster’s St Laurence Church and to hear the sermon of their Rector, the Reverend Philip Melancthon Holden, whose “fire & brimstone” orations were … Continue reading
A walk down Corbets Tey Road
Earlier articles have looked at the history of the area of Upminster south of St Mary’s Lane, including New Place, High House, Hoppy Hall and Gaynes Park. This piece takes a look at the history of the other properties which … Continue reading
A village at war: Upminster 1914-18
When the newly completed St Laurence church hall had opened on 17 April 1914, “the result of a year’s labour”, few would have guessed that within four months it would be pressed into emergency service as a hospital as part … Continue reading
Going Up The Junction?
To folk of my generation the phrase “Up the Junction” conjures up distant memories of a controversial 1965 BBC play, starring Carol White (later of “Cathy Come Home” & “Poor Cow” fame), made into a film a few years later … Continue reading
The sorry legacy of Hoppy Hall
A Royal Mail sorting office, a BP Petrol Station and a car park bearing the name of Hoppy Hall are a sorry legacy for the site of one of Upminster’s oldest houses, whose grounds were graced by one of the … Continue reading
Upminster Court – final flourish of the great house
As you travel up Hall Lane, past the golf clubhouse at Upminster Hall on your right, just before you reach the roundabout with Avon Road, on your left stands the grand and recently restored Edwardian mansion of Upminster Court, overlooking … Continue reading
High House and its rich cast of characters
Have you ever wondered how Byron Parade in Corbets Tey Road came to be named after Lord Byron, one of Britain’s most famous poets? Or wanted to know what the site was before this 1930s shopping parade was built or … Continue reading
