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Photo Gallery:
Aerial view of Hungerford, c1945 (looking north), showing High Street (on right) and Dog Hill and Dog Lane (now Church Way) on left.
Dog Lane c1939. (Thanks to June Prictor)
- Aerial view of Church Way, c.1945.
- Dog Lane, c.1939.
Church Way was originally known as Dog Hill.
Mrs June Prictor kindly contacted the Virtual Museum (in September 2011) with the following information on Church Way (originally known as Dog Hill) - linking Church Street with Salisbury Road:
"In 1937/38 Hungerford Rural District Council contracted J. Wooldridge & Son Limited Builders, Contractors & Decorators of Canal Wharf, Hungerford to build nine semi-detached houses on land to the east of Dog Hill, with access leading to and from the main road.
Privet hedging was planted separating each semi-detached block, and to the rear chain link fencing separated the properties from adjacent meadows which formed a smallholding run by Arthur White and his brother, whose dairy business was in Church Street (No. 6). Garden gates were not provided to any of the house entrances.
The land was originally a meadow and an area of grass, to the front (west) of the housing site, was planted with lime trees, a gravelled service track made to become known as Dog Lane and completely separated from the main road (Dog Hill) by an existing grass bank/hedgerow.
Council rules and regulations were clearly stated on the back of rent books. Tenants were expected to keep the whole area clean and tidy, including their individual gardens (rear and front) - they even kept the main road boundary hedgerow trimmed. In 1940 in spite of the country being urged to "Dig for Victory" and some tenants wanting to do their bit for the war effort, the Council would NOT allow ANYONE to cultivate the grass area, cut/trim the lime tree or even park vehicles thereon!
It was a lovely area in which to live. On the edge of the town, open views to the marsh, distant fields and woods, not acres of agricultural land as now, nor modern housing estates. My family moved from an old thatch roofed cottage in Oxford Street, Eddington into one of the houses in 1938.
The access track was originally named Dog Lane, then West View and finally included in Church Way when Dog Hill was renamed (in 1951-HLP).
Some of the houses are now privately owned, or form part of Sovereign Housing Association. During the years a public footpath was provided but the track itself became sadly neglected. The gravelled surface was consistently washed downhill during heavy rain storms causing deep pot holes to appear and any tree roots above ground made matters even worse. After considerable controversy regarding ownership and responsibility, in 2010 the track was finally reinstated and resurfaced with tarmac. (A search through the archives at Hungerford Rural District Council records would surely have thrown some light on the subject - it must have been Minuted!).
When the track was being reinstated I was interested to see the original foundation appeared to have been formed from brick rubble - presumably left at the time the houses were built!".
21-24 Church Way were named "Broad View".
The Canal Wharf, 2011