PREFACE TO
SUBURBAN EXPANSION IN BATH 1890 - 1910 (BEAR FLAT AREA)
The following interesting and informative article was sent to me by Conrad Eades and was written by
his mother, Joan Eades, as part of a Bristol University Ex-Mural and WEA class in the early 1980s.
Mrs Eades is very happy for the article to be shown on our website but has requested that the
following credit be displayed:
“A documentary Study of Victorian Bath. Work of a Bristol University
Ex-Mural & WEA Class conducted by Graham Davis 1980-81”.
I have transcribed the article from the original typed version and I have taken the liberty of changing
some formats though I have not changed any of the wording - any changes are completely
unintentional. I have also added some clarifying footnotes.
Modern internet resources mean that I have been able to access photographs and maps that would
not have been easily accessible in 1981, and I hope these help illustrate the article. I have made use
of photographs from Bath in Time website and a hyperlink is provided from each image back to the
relevant webpage.
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SUBURBAN EXPANSION IN BATH 1890 - 1910 (BEAR FLAT AREA)
Joan Eades 1981
This convenient area of the city, to quote present day estate agents, was built between 1890 and 1910,
during which time the population of the parish of Lyncombe and Widcombe increased as follows:1891
13770
1901
14372
1911
17497
1
The area to the south of Wellsway at Bear Flat is commonly known as Poets Corner, and was
previously farmland belonging to Holloway Farm. Most of the land to the north2, on the opposite
side of the road, originally belonged to the Hensley Estate. The name of Bloomfield, which
predominates in this area, is reputed to have been the idea of the landowner’s wife. The fields at the
time were a mass of yellow buttercups, so when asked by her husband what it should be called, she
suggested 'Bloomfields'. The Hensley Estate was part of a farm, and the farmhouse near the bottom
of Bloomfield Road (converted by a Dr. Hensley) is today called Wentworth House.
The 1890s saw the first building in Bloomfield
Avenue, part of which (present numbers 1-11
and 51-60) was then called Bloomfield Gardens.
Number 61 bears the date 1893, and by 1894
there were a total of 42 houses, of which 6 were
detached and 36 semi-detached. The
architecture clearly shows the Victorian hatred
of the Georgian style and there are no two
houses (or pairs of houses) alike. Some are
highly embellished and there is even some mock
Bloomfield Avenue, circa 1910, showing numbers 1 through
Tudor and the occasional use of red brick. The
5 on the right, and 57 through 60 in the background.
Courtesy Bath in Time
following extract from 'The Builder' of 1864
seems to have been followed to the last letter 'We shall have no more rolling out of 8-10 houses in one sham facade, but in its stead, that charming
individuality of architectural effect which we have so often admired in the fine old cities of Belgium
and Germany (where) each dwelling presents us with as marked an individuality of character as its
inhabitants'.
The individuality of character of the original inhabitants however was not deliberately expressed in
the architecture of their residences, as in fact only 4 of them in 1894 were owner occupiers. The
development was obviously a case of speculative building, principally by Messrs. Toogood and Davis,
who both lived in Shaftesbury Road, Oldfield Park, and who had built extensively too in that area (37
houses for instance in Winchester Road). George Long (of J. Long and Sons) built 3 pairs of semidetached houses in Bloomfield Avenue, and lived in one of them himself (Woodspring) now No. 86.
1
2
Actually to the east of Wellsway
Actually to the west of Wellsway
Page 2
Extract from the 1886 Ordnance Survey Map of Bath, showing the planned development of Bloomfield Avenue.
By 1910 out of a total of 64 houses (6 detached and 58 semi-detached) there were now 7 owner
occupiers. However this figure of 11% compares favourably with the national average of 10% for the
period 1901-1913. Ernest Eyres at Orchard Lea (now No. 51) was a silk mercer, outfitter and milliner
of G. Eyres & Son, 17 Milsom Street. Another owner occupier was Rhodes Cook at Creffield (now No.
61) of W. and R. Cook, clothing manufacturers of Twerton. A third was William Chesterman, Solicitor,
at Allington (now No. 4).
Bloomfield Avenue, circa 1908, showing a view on the south
side up to numbers 5, 6 and 7 at the top of the hill..
Courtesy Bath in Time.
(This photograph was shown in Mrs Eades’ original article).
Bloomfield Avenue, circa 1910, showing numbers 77 to 82.
The left hand side of the road is now built up.
Courtesy Bath in Time.
By 1910 Messrs. Toogood and Davis together still owned 17 of the 30 houses they had built and
retained in 1894. This today seems quite surprising, in view of the amount of capital which must have
been involved. Many of the houses were large, of the five bedroomed type, so how did these
speculative builders raise the money? Building Societies have never been interested in this type of
operation, having come into existence solely to help owner occupiers. The giant Halifax stated in 1876
'At no time and under no circumstances has the Society laid out one shilling in any building scheme
(save in the offices of the society) or it may be added in speculation of any kind of character'. This
seems to have been the policy also of the local Bath Liberal Building Society, established in 1870, and
now part of the Britannia, who are not aware that they ever financed the speculative builder.
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Without actual evidence of the methods by which these particular builders were financed, one can
only presume that it was similar to those prevailing in other parts of the country. In 'The Growth of
Victorian London', D.J. Olsen suggests that 'probably the bulk of the financing, particularly of the small
to medium sized builder was done by solicitors for their investing clients'. Also that 'the opportunities
open to the thrifty Victorian were far more limited than those of his 20th century descendant. Anyone
who wished to earn a greater return on his savings than he could from Consols3 without undue risk, was
almost forced to invest in mortgages, ground rents, or improved ground rents'. Apparently there was
an abundant supply of landowners eager for a share in the profits of urban growth, plenty of builders
willing to risk everything in covering the land with houses, and a constant supply of investors only too
pleased to see a return of 5% on their capital, which was 1% above the average.
It is also suggested, by John Burnett, that one reason why few Victorians bought their houses was
that 'rented accommodation suited a class which was economically and geographically mobile.
Contemporary advice often suggested that one should not take a lease of longer than three years,
since by then one would be ready to move into different accommodation, better adjusted to
changing income and family needs'. The gross estimated rental of the Bloomfield Avenue houses
ranged from £30-£50 per annum.
The first six houses in Bloomfield Park were built
in 1894, but the Bath Herald of 10/7/1902
advertised for sale by auction land at the
Bloomfield Park estate comprising about 45
building plots for semidetached villas. Also for
sale was 2½ acres on the north side, for
residences of various sizes. It was stated that city
water, gas and electric light were laid near, but
an added selling point was that the 'proposed
Electric Tramways will pass within two minutes
Bloomfield Park, circa 1910. Courtesy Bath in Time
walk'. Although the Bear Flat area is within
walking distance of the town, the introduction of electric trams obviously added to the attraction of
the new housing development. The Somerset and Dorset Railway even suggested building stations at
either end of the Devonshire Tunnel. These would have been between Hensley Road and Maple
Grove at one end, and at Lyncombe Vale at the other end of the 440 yard tunnel. However the idea
did not materialize.
John Haddon in 'Bath' says that 'following the Health Act of 1875 malconstruction of houses was
combated by by-laws which laid down standards in detail for such matters as width of roads, access
to backs, provision of open space and of adequate sanitation, thickness of walls, and fire risk
precautions. This led to large areas, as in Lower Oldfield Park and Bear Flat being laid out in
respectable, if monotonous terraces'. These 'Poets Corner' avenues were built between 1903 and
1906, by a variety of builders. The left hand side of Kipling Avenue for instance was built by Wm.
Geo. Summons. The right hand side was built by Samuel Hallett, who also built most of the houses at
the bottom of these avenues, fronting Bear Flat, and a part of Shakespeare Avenue. John Drake built
the first block in Shakespeare Avenue, numbers 1-43 and lived himself in No. 7.
3
Consol, short for consolidated annuity, a type of government bond
Page 4
Looking up Kipling Avenue, circa 1908.
Courtesy Bath in Time
Looking up Shakespeare Avenue, circa 1905.
Courtesy Bath in Time
The percentage of owner occupiers by 1910 was still quite low:Shakespeare
Kipling
Milton
Longfellow
8%
6%
8%
4%
The gross estimated rental for most of the houses was £19 or £19.10s. The occupants included a
few cabinet makers, carpenters, tailors, teachers, draughtsmen and nurses, but the greatest number
appeared to be clerks of varying description. Solicitors clerks, railway clerks and bank cashiers
appear, but the overwhelming number were postal clerks. This is probably explained by the fact that
at this time Bath served as a forwarding office for a very wide area, covering two or three counties.
In consequence the number of postal staff was much greater than one would normally expect to find
in a town of this size. Milton Avenue contained some slightly more superior houses, and the
residents included the headmistress of Weymouth House school, the Assessor of Income Tax, a
Dentist and two postal overseers.
It was obviously a popular and convenient area then as now. It already had a Church, St. Lukes,
which was consecrated in 1867. The Methodists from Hope Chapel in Lower Borough Walls seized
the opportunity of serving the new housing development by building a chapel at the bottom of
Shakespeare Avenue, the foundation stone of which was laid in September 1906.
The Old Bear Inn.
That other apparent necessity of
any community, the public house,
was well established in the form of
the Old Bear Inn. In those days
though, its sign was represented by
a brown and not a polar bear.
What else then did it need? Mr. F.
W. Spear of Esher House, Chaucer
Road thought it needed a Park!
Public Parks were considered a
vital necessity by the Victorians,
and he thought the ratepayers of
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the parish were numerous enough to claim one. In a letter to the ward representatives dated
September 9th 1898 he hoped it was not too late to secure a portion of land at the top of the cliff, at
a reasonable price, from which also the grandest views were obtained. The Cliff itself had been
bought by public subscription, for £260 in 1869. The Pleasure Grounds Committee in October 1898
was instructed to 'ascertain upon what terms a portion of the Beechen Cliff Estate may be acquired
by the Corporation for the purpose of a public park, or a cliff drive, or both!’ By July 1899 they had
provisionally agreed to purchase 11 acres for £2,750. The Bath Herald of August 1st 1899 said that
'having missed the grand opportunity of buying the whole estate, which even Bath capitalists allowed a
Bristol man to acquire, they have done the next best thing - acquired the choicest piece of property'.
There was the inevitable criticism from
some councillors that the price was too
high. However Mr. Silcock, the
representative for Lyncombe and
Widcombe, defended the proposal by
saying that for the situation of the land
the price was not at all excessive. 'He
knew other people had their eyes on it.
Some gentlemen had asked whether it
was possible to acquire this piece of
The entrance to Alexandra Park, 1906.
land and get a hotel up there, with a cliff railway running to it.'The deal went ahead in 1899
however, and together with the construction of a circular path and the layout etc., the total bill
came to £4,000. The completion was subject to some delay, as the land was used by the Bath and
West Show, and was therefore not available for many months. The opening was scheduled to form
part of the city's Coronation Day celebrations in June 1902. However, owing to the King's illness and
the postponement of the Coronation, it was opened a few days later on 30th June 1902, the Mayor
having decided there was no reason for keeping the public out of their latest park.
The Bath and County Graphic thought the whole thing deplorable. It criticised the size of the park,
the builders, the houses themselves, and the Council, as follows:'What however is now happening in regard to and in the immediate neighbourhood of this park,
which was irreverently described, at a Town Council election meeting recently, as a kitchen garden in
size? The Park is formed on the crown of the hill, and has a broad drive right round it; while there is a
convenient approach from the Wells Road, along which a line of small houses fringes the land
intervening between these buildings and the Park. But the main area of this land is already in the
hands, or seems to be, in the hands of the spoilers, that is, the builders. Space after space is being
marked out for building purposes, and with a rapidity that is almost alarming these small 'villas',
cottages really, are being run up. As a result it may be safely prophesied that within a very short time
the Alexandra Park will be shut in practically on the west and south sides by a mass or swarm of
cottages, with a teeming population. Thus the opportunity of forming a real Park, instead of an
apology for one, and with some claim to dignity, extent, and an actual ornament to the city, will have
been allowed to pass away, and for ever. Is this to be? Is the expenditure of a considerable sum like
£4000 to be all but nullified by the almost encouraged erection of an overwhelming number of small
houses abutting upon it, with the smoke of their hundreds of chimneys belching out day after day,
night after night, upon the miniature Park standing out just above them? The question is a pressing
one, and there is no time to be lost if the situation is to be saved, and the remaining land rescued
Page 6
from what is in this connection undoubtedly a deplorable end'. It went on to urge the Council to take
effectual steps to rescue from the sweeping and desolating advance of bricks and mortar, this
delightful suburb of Bath.
I doubt if today’s residents would recognise the area from this gloomy description. The
conservationists of 80 years ago seemed to have overlooked one important fact - that large numbers
of people were being comfortably, conveniently and adequately housed. The houses then being 'run
up' are still in very good shape today, and they would appear to have a long and useful future ahead
of them.
The Bear Flat Neighbourhood
Bear Flat in festive mood, 1897. Courtesy Bath in Time.
(This photograph was shown in Mrs Eades’ original article).
Page 7
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Preliminary Census of England and Wales 1901 and 1911.
2. Notes and Queries 21st September 1940. Bath Ref. Library.
3. 'The Growth of Victorian London' - D.J. Olsen.
4. Bath Street Directories.
5. Poor and General District Rate Books (1894-1910).
6. The Halifax Story.
7. 'A Social History of Housing 1815-1970' - John Burnett.
8. Bath Herald (10th July 1902).
9. 'Bath' - John Haddon.
10. 'The Story of Bath' - A.T. Martin.
11. Bath Herald 1898, 1899, 1902. (Clippings file - Alexandra Park).
12. 'The Somerset and Dorset Railway' - Robin Atthill.
13. Bath and County Graphic - Vols. 7 and 8, November 1902.
14. Postcard views by permission of Mrs D Pond.
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