Windsor Terrace - Southend Road

As I was looking through some of the photographs in my collection I came across 4 pictures of the above named terraced houses Nos 33 to 41 inclusive taken in 1980 at my request by Mr George Wilson a former member of the Bungay Camera Club.

My reason for wanting the photographs is simple. I was told by Mr Tom Smith that the house at No 29 was about to be modernised and that the old Victorian kitchen and cast iron fire places were to be removed. He asked if I would take some pictures before this happened. This was an offer I could not refuse. It reminded me of my boyhood days in the 1930’s and 40’s when I was living at No. 31 Upper Olland Street as the kitchen and fireplaces in that house were similar to those in Southend Road.

The first picture shows part of the row of houses that made up Windsor Terrace. According to the plaque above No. 37 (the one with the shop front), it states the name Windsor Terrace and the date they were built 1896.

Since this picture was taken the front walls have been removed (except 41) and the front gardens concreted over and used for car standing purposes. Such is the modern way of living.

The second photograph was taken from behind showing part of No. 39 to 33 inclusive.

When these houses were built one has to remember that in 1896 there was no electricity or piped water. Whether the houses had the gas laid on I cannot say. If not, oil lamps or candles had to be used, With regards to the water supply, it had to be drawn from a well or pump situated in a central position at the rear of the properties just to the right of the short fence shown in the picture.
In those days there were no flush toilets and outside loos in the garden containing a bucket that had to be emptied regularly by men working on the Town night cart or buried by the tenant in the garden.

Photograph No. 3 was taken in the kitchen and shows a shallow stone sink und er a window next to the wash boiler with a firebox and grate underneath in the left hand corner. Next to that and the centre was a cast iron cooking range and oven. Water could be heated in kettles or saucepans on the top. Finally in the right hand corner a wall oven with the firebox and grate underneath can be seen. There again in 1896 there were no electric cookers, fridges, freezers or kettles etc. – things that we all take for granted today. For light either oil lamps, candles or maybe gas would have been used.

The last photograph shows one of the cast iron fireplaces and fender that were in other rooms of the house. Incidentally a local firm in Bungay made the cast iron stove fireplaces.

Frank Honeywood
Town Recorder