A number of the residential roads in Lower Holloway are named after villages, homes and farms in Wiltshire. The roads were developed from the late 1860's until the 1910's and are at least partly on land held by Thomas Poynder.
Roads and their roots: (clickable map)
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A |
B |
Aerial photo of Lower Holloway area
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Hillmarton (sic) Road (column A, lower half of map, above) built c.1870, named after Hilmarton in Wiltshire. Hilmarton Manor was bought by Thomas Poynder in 1813. |
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Penn Road (column A, centre) built late 1860's. Named after one or all of Lower Penn, High Penn and Penn Hill Farms, all on Penn Hill, between Hilmarton Manor and Quemerford. Penn Hill was probably named after William Penn who recruited Quakers from the area to help colonise Pennsylvania in the late 17th Century! |
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Freegrove Road (column A, lower half) named after Freegrove Farm, Lyneham, near Hilmarton and Beacon Hill. |
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Beacon Hill (column A, lower half), probably named after Beacon Hill or Beacon Hill Farm, near Hilmarton. However, could also be after Beacon Hill near Heddington/Calne. |
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Hartham Road (column A, lower half) built 1870-1880, named after Hartham Park, near Corsham, Wiltshire. This was built 1790-95. On Hartham Lane which leads from Corsham to Biddestone. Hartham Close (column A, lower half) as above, built in 1950s. |
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Hungerford Road (column A, lower half) built in 1860's. Probably named after Lord Hungerford. The family were large landowners in Wiltshire, including around Chippenham, from the 14th Century. They lived in Corsham in the 17th Century and built poor houses in Corsham in 1668. They owned 30 manors at that stage, but these were apparently lost through gambling by Sir Edward Hungerford - a prominent Parliamentarian during the Civil War - in the late 17th Century. There is a Hungerford Wood near Widdenham Farm and Hartham Park. |
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Quemerford Road (column B, centre) built c.1910, named after Quemerford, near Calne, Wiltshire at suggestion of Sir Thomas Poynder Dickson Poynder, Baron of Islington from 1910. |
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Biddestone Road (column B, upper half) built c 1910, named after Biddestone, near Corsham and Chippenham, Wiltshire. |
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Widdenham Road (column B, upper half) built c.1910, named after Widdenham Farm, near Corsham, Wilts. There used to be a paper mill on the river at Widdenham, at least back to the late 18th Century. Baptists used to use the river there for baptism. |
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Heddington Grove (column B, lower half) redeveloped 1990, named after Heddington (Manor?) near Calne, Wiltshire |