This was the question being asked yesterday (Friday) as huge signs started to appear around the town advising of a lane closure for 2 weeks, starting on April 26th.
This refers to the A339 northbound between the Burger King Roundabout and the Sainsbury's Roundabout one lane is being closed for the installation of a new gas main.
Winchcombe runs from Sainsbury Island to the railway bridge, where it turns into Greenham Road. Vague recollection of being told Kings Road and Kings Road West were joined. This would have been prior to Sainsburys and Halfords being built. Can recall a coal merchant in that area, but were there shops or houses on Winchcombe Road?
And some of the houses contained small businesses. I remember visiting one of them many years ago. Can anyone remember the name of the pub on/near the bridge?
And some of the houses contained small businesses. I remember visiting one of them many years ago. Can anyone remember the name of the pub on/near the bridge?
Winchcombe runs from Sainsbury Island to the railway bridge, where it turns into Greenham Road. Vague recollection of being told Kings Road and Kings Road West were joined. This would have been prior to Sainsburys and Halfords being built. Can recall a coal merchant in that area, but were there shops or houses on Winchcombe Road?
Prior to the ring road, I have memories that Winchcombe Road used to join Cheap Street by the library. After the ring road was constructed this part of the road was renamed Carnegie Road. This left a section of road to the east of the ring road which was swallowed up in the Sainsbury's site in 1993. There was a coal yard on a spur from Winchcombe Road and also a builders merchants.
This street map shows the named road after the first section of the link was built but before the section going up the hill past St John's Road. The new railbridge was in place by this time. You can also see that Howard Rd was joined across to Greenham Road in front of the Blue Ball.
The photograph is taken looking south before the new bridge and link were built. On the left out of shot is the old Axe & Compass and across the other side of the bridge, the Railway hotel, Now Halfords. The shop just in view on the right still exists and is the fancy dress novelty shop now. It was a bakers then.
The photo above was taken from outside the Sun pub. This picture looks north and the point of reference is the building on the left which is the Fancy dress shop again but in those days, a bakery and cake shop.
This picture was taken in 1972. The buildings on the right hand side were the eastern side of the original Winchcombe Road. The old road itself still existed at this time, and formed a culdesac which ran parallel to the A339 (A34 in those days).
The extension to the telephone exchange had not been built at this time. The old exchange is the flat roofed building just in front of the new building. Newbury had a manual exchange until 1975. It was one of the last towns in the UK to convert to STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialling)
At various times the Railway Hotel, the Railway Junction Hotel, or the Railway Tavern - but not the Railway Inn.
Blimey! Looks like I'm wrong again........... Born in Newbury, lived in Newbury all my life, well not quite yet, and still don't know it. But I do remember the christian name of the grocer, just over Black Boys Bridge.. not tellin ya!
Logged
Male
