Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Manor Road

Opposite Hendford Manor

Manor Road was laid out and built in the late 1890s after the break-up of Hendford Park, and first appears on the 1901 Ordnance Survey (see below). It runs between West Hendford to the west and Hendford to the east, taking its name from the fact that its eastern end is directly opposite Hendford Manor.

One building of note in Manor Road is Ernest Ricketts' former glove factory. It opened in Manor Road in 1910 and after he quit the premises in 1925, it was occupied by the Raymond Brothers who were furniture manufacturers and locally-famous wood carvers. They converted the ground floor to shop premises and installed the ornate shop front (seen below) flanked by a pair of carved grotesque faces. The building survives today.

 

The 1901 Ordnance Survey was the first occasion Manor Road was to be seen on any map.

 

This aerial photograph looks southwest and was taken in 1935. It shows the full extent of what had been Hendford Park. At bottom left is Hendford House / Manor Hotel with Hendford running along the left side of the photograph to the large clump of trees which is today the site of the police station. West Hendford runs from centre bottom to top right and today's Horsey Lane runs across from top right to top left.

In the bottom left corner is Wellington Street, with Salthouse Lane just glimpsed above it. Opposite Wellington Street is the entrance to Hendford Grove and further along is the entrance to Manor Road.

 

 

Courtesy of Jack Sweet

Photographed in 1940, this photograph shows wartime hoardings erected in Manor Road.

 

Courtesy of Chris Rendell

The eastern end of Manor Road meets Hendford directly opposite Hendford Manor. Photographed in 1985.

 

The eastern end of Manor Road, photographed in 2016.

 

Courtesy of Chris Rendell

The shop (at this time vacant) of the Raymond brothers who were quite famous local wood carvers. Photographed in 1985.

 

I'm not sure of the date of this photograph (but I'm guessing it is also around 1985) showing the intricate window heads with surrounding carving installed by the Raymond Brothers.

 

The pair of carved faces supporting the shop window framework of the shop in Manor Road (see above) that started life as a glove factory - but it was later the shop of the wood-carving Raymond brothers. Photographed in 2013.

 

The same former glove factory, photographed in 2016. Ernest Ricketts' glove factory opened in 1910. After he vacated the premises in 1925 the Raymond Brothers moved in and added the shop-front with the carved-face supporters. Note that the intricate heads of the ground floor windows have now been removed.

 

Manor Road, looking west from the junction with Hendford. Photographed in 2016.

 

The western end of Manor Road, looking towards West Hendford. Photographed in 2013.