westminster street
westminster street
A little alley known by many names in its history
Westminster
Street was
originally a
very narrow
lane, little
more than an
alleyway,
leading to
Huish.
In the early
part of the 19th
century it
became known as
Porter’s Lane
after
William
Porter who
ran a
bookshop and
printing
business on the
corner of the
lane and
Princes
Street. It was
also referred to
as Porter's
Place.
In 1827 William
Porter, printer
of Yeovil, was
on the Jury List
as a stationer
in Hendford (as
this part of
Princes Street
was then known)
on the corner of
what was known
as Porter's
Lane. He was
also the second
actuary of
Yeovil's first
savings bank. By
1829 Porter's
sale of the
premises was
advertised
nevertheless by
1839 Porter was
in partnership
with
Henry Marsh
Custard however
the lane was
still named
Porter’s Lane in
the 1841 census
and just one
family lived
there.
At its junction
with
Hendford,
Porter's Lane
was only about
twelve feet
across as seen
in this sketch
of about 1910
looking out to
the junction of
Hendford and
High Street. The
photograph the
sketch is based
on is shown
below.
As Porter &
Custard,
printers,
stationers and
bookshop, they
remained in the
premises at
least until 1853
although William
Porter became
less connected
in the
day-to-day
running of the
business. By the
time of the 1851 census Porter’s
Lane was called
Custard’s Lane.
By 1866 Kelly's
Directory was
advertising the
business as
being run by
William Henry
Coates and in
the 1861 census
the lane was
called Huish
Lane because it
connected
Princes Street
with Huish.
On the other
corner with
Hendford was
originally the
Angel Inn and a
small shop next
to it. By 1890
the draper
Lindsay Denner,
whose main
business was at
25 High Street
opposite the
Mermaid Hotel,
had opened a
"gentleman's and
juvenile
ready-made and
outfitting
establishment"
in the shop
premises.
The Angel was demolished at the turn of the 19th century when Whitmarsh and White opened a bank on the site in 1808. This was succeeded by Stuckey's bank on the same site in 1835 and the present Westminster bank was opened in today's building in 1919. In 1924 the small Denner’s shop was demolished and the lane was finally widened to its present width and renamed Westminster Street after the bank.
MAP
Map based on the 1901 Ordnance Survey showing at centre the narrow lane that would, some twenty years later, be widened and become Westminster Street.
GALLERY
Courtesy of
Olly Ewens
This image, scanned from a 1950s newspaper cutting, is the original photograph that the above sketch was based on. It is taken from Huish Lane, today's Westminster Street, and looks across Hendford to High Street. The building at extreme left, Nos 1 & 3 Princes Street, survives but the building to the right was demolished for the road widening of the 1920s.
From my
collection.
This
image
features in my
book 'Yeovil
- The Postcard
Collection'.
This postcard, postally unused, I'd guess dates to about 1895. At extreme left is just seen the edge of Lindsay Denner's shop and next to it are the remaining shops before he took them over. The two men at centre are standing outside Stuckey's Bank (demolished before 1918) and between the bank building and Genge's shop is the narrow entrance to Porter's Lane (later widened to become today's Westminster Street).
This
image
features in my
book 'Yeovil
- The Postcard
Collection'.
This photograph of Princes Street was taken in 1904. At left is Lindsay Denner's "gentleman's and juvenile ready-made and outfitting establishment" immediately next to the narrow lane. On the opposite corner the building that had been Porter's printing works and bookshop is still there today and bears a blue plaque celebrating Porter's shop.
This photograph looks along High Street to Hendford - the triumphal arch was the highlight of the town's decorations of the 1902 coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. In the background at left is Stuckey's Bank and at centre is Denner's "gentleman's and juvenile ready-made and outfitting establishment". Note to its immediate right the very narrow entrance to Porter's Lane. Stuckey's bank was later demolished and the present Westminster bank was opened in today's building in 1919. Denner's building was also demolished and Porter's Lane was widened to become Westminster Street.
From my
collection
This is an interesting photograph of the late 1920s taken from High Street and showing the newly-built bank building at left and the newly-widened Westminster Street ahead. Notice that very few buildings existed in Westminster Street at this time except the Heart of Oak (with its large sign on its flank wall) on the corner of Clarence Street. At right is the Mermaid Hotel without shops.
From my
collection
A photograph of Westminster Street taken in 1932. By this time Westminster Street as we know it today was less than ten years old. Wilson, the tailor and outfitter, was Robert Rowland Wilson.
.... and seen in the mid-1960s - Porter's Lane has now been widened to form Westminster Street. Genge's shop is now Hening & Tudor ladies' clothing shop.
.... and seen from a little further back around the same time.
.... and a little further back still. Westminster Street seen from High Street in the mid-1960s.
.... and moving back to the 1930s - apart from the shops in front of the Mermaid, the only real changes are in Westminster Street where Douglas Seaton's tower is seen on the corner with Clarence Street and a new building has sprung up by the side of the Heart of Oak.
This
image
features in my
book 'Yeovil
- The Postcard
Collection'.
A postcard of around 1955 looking east along Westminster Street to High Street.
This photograph was taken in the mid-1960's in Westminster Street. The bus is turning the corner into Clarence Street and the two-tone van to its left emerges from the end of Huish. At this time you could drive into Huish from Westminster Street as indicated by the road markings. Douglas Seaton's tower is fondly remembered as a landmark by older Yeovilians and right of centre is the Heart of Oak pub, now called the Westminster.
Courtesy of
Allan
Harding
Seaton's building was taken over by Lloyds Bank, as seen in this photograph of the 1980s, while major works were being undertaken at the bank's building in the Borough.
Courtesy of
the Western
Gazette
Seaton's building was taken over by Lloyds Bank, as seen in this photograph of the 1980s, while major works were being undertaken at the bank's building in the Borough.
Courtesy of
the Western
Gazette
.... and a closer view of the Clarence Street elevation of the Seaton's building when in use as the Lloyds Bank during the 1980s.
Courtesy of
Colin Haine
Buildings on the north side of the western end of Westminster Street photographed in 1983. By this time the Heart of Oak had been renamed the Yeovil Wine Bar.
Westminster Street, photographed in 1985. At this time the old Seaton's building, at centre, was occupied by Denner's Furniture Department.
... and in 1991 Seaton's tower was demolished - changing the face of the street until the 2023 one-inch high trip-hazard kerbs were installed.
