Station Road
In 1897 the first shop in the village was built at the top of the bank which lead down to the Gill Bottoms; on Station Road (today's Burnopfield Road) and it became a post office and grocery shop.
As post was brought to the village by train, the first post office was conveniently located opposite the station. Annie Lundy was the sub-postmistress and had been running Victoria Garesfield Post Office before she moved to Rowlands Gill. In 1904 Miss. Lundy was she was replaced by Joseph Lumley.
Mr Lumley’s nearby drapery shop then became the village’s second post office. His shop and the shop next door had been built in 1902 by Mr Thomas Usher who ran a grocery business in one, renting then later selling the other to Mr Lumley who initially ran a draper's there, later adding the post office.
In 1921 Mr. Lumley had a new shop built in a different location (today's Co-operative Funeral Services), moving his business and the post office there, It is reported that when the post office moved, in order to keep the original stamp (with Station Road on) it had been easier to change the name of the roads. 1921 could therefore have been the year when the original Station Road was renamed 'Burnopfield Road', Station Road becoming the road known by this name today.
(Source: Brian Pears)
In 1897 the first shop in the village was built at the top of the bank which lead down to the Gill Bottoms; on Station Road (today's Burnopfield Road) and it became a post office and grocery shop.
As post was brought to the village by train, the first post office was conveniently located opposite the station. Annie Lundy was the sub-postmistress and had been running Victoria Garesfield Post Office before she moved to Rowlands Gill. In 1904 Miss. Lundy was she was replaced by Joseph Lumley.
Mr Lumley’s nearby drapery shop then became the village’s second post office. His shop and the shop next door had been built in 1902 by Mr Thomas Usher who ran a grocery business in one, renting then later selling the other to Mr Lumley who initially ran a draper's there, later adding the post office.
In 1921 Mr. Lumley had a new shop built in a different location (today's Co-operative Funeral Services), moving his business and the post office there, It is reported that when the post office moved, in order to keep the original stamp (with Station Road on) it had been easier to change the name of the roads. 1921 could therefore have been the year when the original Station Road was renamed 'Burnopfield Road', Station Road becoming the road known by this name today.
(Source: Brian Pears)
Station Road c. 1913
The shops and tenement blocks which on the left-hand side of Station Road - at the top of the bank running down to the Bottoms - were known as 'Wigham's Buildings'. The photo above shows Dixon's sweet shop in the right foreground with...enamel adverts for Frys and Rowntrees confectionary.
(Source: Rowlands Gill in Old Picture Postcards N. G. Rippeth)
The shops and tenement blocks which on the left-hand side of Station Road - at the top of the bank running down to the Bottoms - were known as 'Wigham's Buildings'. The photo above shows Dixon's sweet shop in the right foreground with...enamel adverts for Frys and Rowntrees confectionary.
(Source: Rowlands Gill in Old Picture Postcards N. G. Rippeth)
In the earliest days shops along Station Road included a fish and chip shop and Temperley's shoe repairs. In 1904 the fish and chip shop which had earlier been situated in Strathmore Terrace was resited on the top road. At one point in later days this was known as 'Ali's', the owner being of Asian origin.
In the thirties, Ellenor Coates' (nee Lowes') grandfather, James Wilson, had run a grocery store come fish and chip shop at the premises seen in the photo above, there being a little room at the back where people could sit in to eat. "My grandmother, who had been the nurse over at Friarside would help out in the shop and I remember the sign on the outside still read 'Lundy', this being from a previous owner".
In the late fourties and fifties, Mr. James Ball ran a fruit and veg shop on these premises which had served as a local Food Distribution Centre during the war, Mrs. Goodfellow's pie shop/cafe was located in the third block on the road..
A general grocer's/bakers also stood along beside the orignal Vale of Derwent Social Club and just over the road by the Towneley Arms there was also Mr. Smith's butcher's shop, affectionately known by some as 'Porky Smith's'.
In the thirties, Ellenor Coates' (nee Lowes') grandfather, James Wilson, had run a grocery store come fish and chip shop at the premises seen in the photo above, there being a little room at the back where people could sit in to eat. "My grandmother, who had been the nurse over at Friarside would help out in the shop and I remember the sign on the outside still read 'Lundy', this being from a previous owner".
In the late fourties and fifties, Mr. James Ball ran a fruit and veg shop on these premises which had served as a local Food Distribution Centre during the war, Mrs. Goodfellow's pie shop/cafe was located in the third block on the road..
A general grocer's/bakers also stood along beside the orignal Vale of Derwent Social Club and just over the road by the Towneley Arms there was also Mr. Smith's butcher's shop, affectionately known by some as 'Porky Smith's'.
The main feature on the right-hand side of Station Road was the Pavillion picture hall which doubled as a roller-skating rink and a dance hall. A distinct building with two gable ends, the Pavillion was built c. 1910 and is reported to have burnt down in 1916.
(Source: Brian Pears).
The present day Vale of Derwent Club now stands in the place of the Pavillion.
(Source: Brian Pears).
The present day Vale of Derwent Club now stands in the place of the Pavillion.
Rowlands Gill’s first cinema was built at the beginning of 1910 by Mr William Smith who lived in Wingrove at Rowlands Gill..The building was made of wood and corrugated iron sheets...Inside it was really just one large room with a small office with a sliding window in one corner
It was not used as a cinema at first, it was just a roller-skating rink. Roller skating was a very popular sport at the time and the local children used it whenever they could. In those days roller skates needed a lot of grease to make the wheels turn properly and some of this would always get onto the floor making it slippy and very dirty. If anyone fell down, and most of the children fell down every time they went, they would go home covered in thick black grease from head to foot. Naturally their mothers and fathers soon got tired of this and many children were told not to go back there.
(Source: Brian Pears 'From Roller-Skates to Bingo)