The medieval streets radiated out from the market place, which was eventually divided into High Street and Behind the Shops (later Swan Street). These streets were Coventry Street, Blackwell Street, Worcester Street, Vicar Street, Bull Ring, Church Street and Mill Street.

In 1753 Doharty’s plan showed plans by Lord Foley to create a new street system in front of St Mary’s church where the manor house had once been. It referred to ambitious plans to build 150 weavers’ cottages.. Although streets like Hall Street, Orchard Street and Barn Street (later Dudley Street) were created, it is likely that only about 40 cottages were built.

In the latter part of the 18th century streets were built in the Horsefair and Churchfield area for cloth weavers. These included Paradise Street, Milk Street and Queen Street.

A boom in the carpet industry in the early 1820s triggered some growth. Broad Street was built at that time. A major development undertaken by Lord Foley’s agents was the construction of the grid of streets incorporating Bromsgrove Street, Lion Street, George Street, Fair Street, South Street and Cross Street, most of which has been destroyed by the ring road.

An early land club built Summer Place in 1822. Later, in more difficult economic times, The St George’s land club formed in 1839 started to develop land in the corner of Love Lane (later Offmore Road) and Chester Lane (later Chester Road North). This work created Villiers Street and Lorne Street.

By 1859 when Broadfield’s map was published, other outlying street systems were taking shape. These included to the north west Crane Street, St John’s Street and other linked streets, to the west Sutton Road and Franchise Street, and to the south east Farfield.

Many houses and streets were erected in the last three decades of the century. From Hurcott Road (formerly Bird Lane) across the east side of town to Comberton Hill a dense network of streets was established. Land clubs were active such places as Leswell Street, Shrubbery Street, Roden Avenue, Lorne Street and Baxter Avenue.

On the west side of town, Wood Street and Park Street, begun in the 1820s, were extended by land clubs southwards to the cemetery. Another large land club, the Woodfield Land Society formed in the late 1870s, built Woodfield Crescent, Cobden Street, Crescent Road, Peel Street and part of Plimsoll Street.

The first council houses were at Gheluvelt Avenue in 1921, soon followed by some on Worcester Road. The large Sutton Farm estate was commenced in 1929 and the Broadwaters estate in 1933. The construction of Birchen Coppice estate was spread over several years after the second world war.

Featured Article
Wood Street, Kidderminster

Built on land purchased in 1851

Articles