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COMMENTARY OF STREET SOCIETY WALK AROUND STREET
FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE
*Built 1850 cost £1200 Architect Francis Cotterell, a Quaker from Bath
Come out Friends Meeting House look opposite
MULLIONS HOTEL
*Built late 1600’s as a farmhouse - still a prosperous working farm in 1840.
*Original well set into bar
*Section to the left is SHIELDS TERRACE built 1914 by William Godfrey, local builder and undertaker –
originally 4 cottages, one has been demolished. One of the first brick buildings, prior to this Blue Lias
Stone was used. Bricks made in Glastonbury (Now part of Hotel).
Move up High Street and stop at Clarks entrance (looking anti-clockwise) look across road to
THE BOWLING GREEN.
* Home to the bowling club until it moved to Victoria Club; which was Clarks sports and social club.
*During the second world war, Whitehead Torpedo Works of Southampton moved 81 machines and 250
workers to Clarks "Big Room" factory to produce torpedo heads. This required a regular supply of water
and large storage tanks were set into the ground at Bowling Green.
*Still under the turf and hydrant visible.
Look this side of the road
THE OLD RECTORY (Recently renovated building facing road)
*Bought in 1840 by Rector Lord John Thynne (pronounced Thin) (a son of Lord Bath of Longleat) for his
curate Rev’d James Merriman.
CLARKS ENTRANCE (Background history)
*The business was founded by Cyrus Clark in 1825.
*Three years later his younger brother James joined him on a 5 year apprenticeship.
*In 1833 they became partners. C and J Clark had a starting capital of £2,240.
MORELIGHT BUILDING
*Built in 1933 designed by Jack Stock – an employee of C&J Clark building department
WATER TOWER
*Square top built in 1897 designed by William Reynolds – James Clark’s grandson.
CLOCK TOWER
*Pointed top built 1887 Architect G.J. Skipper for Queen Victoria’s jubilee based on a tower at Thun in
Switzerland.
* It has 4 bells that still chime the quarter times; named after William S. Clark’s daughters Ester, Alice,
Margaret and Hilda.
WAR MEMORIAL (at base of tower))
*Commemorates employees who died in both wars I and II.
* Flower trough with shoe making tools cast into it.
*Unusual to have a woman shown.
MAIN BUILDING (facing main road)
*First section to the archway was Cyrus Clark’s house until 1856 when he moved to a new home at what
is now Elmhurst School. Behind it was the original 1829 factory.
*In 1898 the front façade was built with the archway. Architect was William Reynolds.
*Now main entrance and shoe museum.
*Other factory/office buildings behind were added 1870 to 1890.
Move up narrow path ( towards Clarks village) take right fork
NETHERLEIGH
* Built for James Clark as his private home, a wedding present from his brother and partner Cyrus in
1835 Architect Samuel Pollard.
* In 1857 it was extended. It was said that Cyrus embraced the temperance movement and the contents
of his cellar mixed the mortar of this house.
* It is now showrooms for C&J Clarks.
*Grass area was garden to Greenbank house (next)
Move to left to main path to Clarks Village
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FACTORY CHIMNEY
*Built in steel in 1920 but due to corrosion was encased in brick in 1931.
CLARKS VILLAGE
*Opened in 1993 to utilise closed factory buildings, now covers 235,000 sq ft.
*Estimated to have 4 million visitors a year
*Note that old stones from Glastonbury Abbey are sited in the sides of the path back down to High
Street. There are other sites around Street – eg in a garden wall in Glaston Road
Move up main road look across to
GREENBANK POOL. Grade 2 listed
Will be visited on walk back down Wilfrid Road
* Built in the back gardens of house on main road.
First house on main road
GREENBANK HOUSE (NOW 42 AND 44 High Street)
* The left hand front door was the main entrance, right front door led into the garden.
* The house was home to William S. Clark (son of James) from 1866 to 1889 when he moved to Millfield
House which remained a Clarks home until the death of his daughter Alice when it was sold and became
Millfield School.
* William S Clark married Helen, whose father was John Bright M.P. and whose home was called
Greenbank in Rochdale.
*In 1863 C and J Clark faced bankruptcy and with Quaker backing, William Clark aged 24 took over and
the present family continue from him.
Driveway
No.46
*Built 1886 on the site of Greenbank house stable block.
*Now C&J Clark archive office.
No. 48
*Right section 48b built about 1860 as an extension to 48a.
*Left Section much older, in 1843 it was occupied by Joseph White as a farm.
* Typical of local building prior to Victorian expansion – low cottages, blue lias stone, red tiled roof.
*May have been original Friends Meeting place.
*Now both properties for sale as one £350k.
Move along road to Pelican Crossing-wait, look across
Bet Fred
*Above Bet Fred is the telephone exchange built 1962.Ground floor was the post office, note the crest.
Cross road and look back across to
COOPER AND TANNER
*Built in 1847 as Temperance Hall and Hotel (you can just see some of the plaque)
Look at Library garden mural – twinning scene.
LIBRARY
*Built 1924 architect S. Thompson Clothier (Family influence he was married to daughter of W.S. Clark)
CRISPIN HALL
*Look first at carving of St Crispin patron saint of shoe making.
*Built 1885 architect G.J. Skipper. Idea of W.S. Clark as public hall, library and reading room
*Look at flagstone floor and old photos on stairs.
* Look at our Heritage Board.
Move up High Street
CRISPIN CENTRE
*Built 1977 on the site of Purseys Garage.
* Opposite, Travel Angels, Surfers and BHF were police houses until 1966
By Grinters Pet Shop look at Twinning plaque.
* Brookside School Plaque Millenium Project – “our Family and Friends past and Present”
*Original High Street was a mix of shops and houses with front gardens and lias walls
Cross over zebra crossing. Continue along High Street
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MUNDYS FLOWER SHOP
*site of the old fire station in the mid 1850s – but often there was difficulty in catching the horses to
pull it leaving the fire to go out on its own.
Look across road
WETHERSPOONS
*Called The Lantokay after the oldest part of Street, a Saxon enclosure around the Parish Church.
LIVING HOMES
*Former Board School.
*Built 1859 by Thomas Petvin for 350 pupils, became a Board School in 1874. Extension added in 1892
by William Reynolds to take 1150 pupils.
* It was originally built with C and J Clark profits from the sale of sheepskin jackets for the Crimea War as
pacifists they couldn’t benefit.
*Somerset County Council took over in 1903 closed 1974.
*It originally had a porch and railings which are now in Somerton Road.
Stand on corner
UNITED REFORM CHURCH
*Built in1884
*Organ by Rest Cartright of London (Rest is short for Rest-in-the-Lord in his family's Puritan Baptist
tradition)The organ was built in 1907 and cost £300
Look across High Street
IN HARMONY
*Old Vestry Rooms built 1860 (see plaque) by Thomas Petvin moved in 1887 to Leigh Road.
CORNER PROPERTY
FORMER CO-OP
*Whole building was Co-op
Cross road into Vestry Road
*Site of Great fire of thatched cottages.
MISSION CHURCH
BUILT TO REPLACE “Tin Church” a corrugated tabernacle 1898-1989
* the bell tower was retained.
RECTORY BUILDING
*built in 1897. Modern rectory now at rear.
Stop at park gate
MERRIMAN ROAD – STRAIGHT AHEAD
*Built by Street UDC 1911-1912; first municipal scheme in Somerset and one of the earliest in the
country.
*Architect S. Thompson Clothier.
MERRIMAN GARDENS – TO RIGHT
*Semi detached 52 parlour houses.
*Built by Street UDC 1920-21 last council scheme in Blue Lias stone although brick around windows and
doors. All further building in red brick. Architect S. Thompson Clothier.
MERRIMAN PARK
*Named after John Merriman Prime Minister of Cape Colony South Africa, son of Rev’d Merriman. John
was born at Old Rectory, already seen by Clarks entrance.
*Shelter (Base only left) built as a memorial to WWI called “Sun Parlour” with seats facing in each
direction.
*Band stand - Base only remaining, built early 1900s(to be re-built).
*The war memorial was placed in park as a temporary measure in 1970’s when road works were made
outside the Mission Church. When road improvements were finished the church would not have it back.
Return down Vestry Road and right along Vestry road
RED BRICK BUILDING on opposite side
* Was the office of the shoe workers union
Turn down through car park
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CRISPIN CENTRE MURAL
Newly refurbished by us! Information on board.
Through onto Leigh Road; Look at back of Crispin Hall –
* Community Garden.
*Gymnasium added in 1890
Look across at
LIBRARY
*already mentioned but look again
*1924 purpose built architect S. Thompson Clothier.
Look up Leigh Road – designed as the civic centre of the village
To Right;
VESTRY ROOM
*Built 1887. Became home to Urban District Council created in 1894
*Recently refurbished and again home to Street Parish Council.
* It used to house fire engine – bottom right section – 2 white, wooden framed windows were a door.
Next building
COGNIQUE + JOHN BEVERIDGE
*Former Police station built 1888 police cells still in situ with original doors. Moved to West End in 1966.
LEIGH ROAD METHODIST CHURCH
*Built 1893 typical non-conformist church in Street (United Reform already seen there is also Baptist)
originally the Wesleyan Chapel.
Look across road;
MAXIME CINEMA
Now - Envy nightclub.
*Architect S. Thompson Clothier.
*Built in 1920 – The first brick public building built by a butcher (Mr Voke) and cider maker (Mr. Hecks)
locally know as “Beer and Bones”.
CHUBB BULLIED BUILDING
*Strode House – former Technical School. Built 1899. Architect William Reynolds.
*Continued to provide evening classes until 1962.
*Twinning Plaque on front and two plaques commemorating the War Dead. WWI and WWII.
OLD HEALTH CENTRE
*Started in 1914 by W.S. Clark and Alice Clark as a private secondary school; architect S. Thompson
Clothier
*In 1920 Somerset CC took over school and moved it to Elmhurst Grammar School.
* In 1925 This building became the Strode Day Continuation School.
*In 1962 it became Street Health Centre. (now office building)
*Plaques on Front – War Memorial of old boys. Face profile W.B. Henderson headmaster 1925-1950.
Stand on corner – look to right along Vestry Road
* Red roofed building in 1895 was the site of the blacksmith– Samuel Hooper.It is part of but older than
ELM COTTAGE (on the corner)
*Built 1846 for the Hooper family , the local blacksmiths
*Still the Hooper family home.
Look across to
HINDHAYES (pink house)
*Built in 1807 by Joseph Clark 1762-1831.
*He was a farmer (farm next door) and married Fanny Sturge in 1794;
*Father of Cyrus and James.
Look across to
WHITE HOUSE ON LEFT ON CORNER
*Home to Summerhayes family.
*Victor Summerhayes born 1897 was an Orchid specialist at Kew Gardens.
*He moved back to Street to this house and wrote “Wild Orchids of Britian”. He died in 1974 but
Summerhayes still live in Street.
* It then became home to caretaker of club next door.
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Cross road and into Hindhayes Lane
UNITY CLUB
*Originally British Legion Club built in 1923.
VINE SURGERY
*Was Hindhayes Farm
*Opened in 1993. (Glass Cupolas on new part designed to reflect the one in Wilfrid Road).
Continue along Hindhayes Lane look left at rear of Greenbank pool .
*these green open spaces are known as the “Lungs of Street”
Stop at junction with Wilfrid Road and look at
* Blue Lias stone stile into field opposite – typical of the village
* also point out Elmhurst School -home to Cyrus Clark in 1856.
Turn left into Wilfrid Road.
WILFRID ROAD
*Whole road is Grade 2 listed
* Started in 1885
* Three sets of houses rising to 45 in all.
* Tudor/Jacobean style.
* Architect John George Skipper.
* He built Wilfrid Terrace containing 12 cottages in 1885 and COBDEN TERRACE containing 20 cottages
in 1889. James Pursey was the builder.
* The cupola offended Mrs Helen Clark, so Skipper was dropped as the company architect.
* LAWSON TERRACE was then built in a plainer style in 1891 by William Reynolds with Frederick Huish
the builder.
* Listed in many books on the Arts and Crafts movement.
* No 20 (last house on left) had the only telephone in the road when it was first introduced.
GREENBANK POOL. Grade 2 listed
* Art Deco style
* Opened in 1937 for ladies only, to save them bathing in the RiverBrue like the men did.
* Given in a legacy by Alice Clark to the people of Street .
* During the first season 36,438 used it, (can't believe that?)
* Plaque on wall.
* Following the opening speech all the Clark family dived in, together with girls from the factory.
* During the second world war, when some New Zealand troops were billeted at the Batch, two hefty
chaps were observed by the wife of one of the Directors', to threaten to throw a 10 year old in to the
pool. The lady objected, so they threw her in instead.
At High Street turn right
THE BEAR INN
* Name commemorates the Strode family whose coat of arms uses a Bear.
* Opened in 1885
* Once a thatched beer house, popular with factory workers.
* Known as Godfrey's and was a source of trouble and temptation to the Quaker family.
* They purchased it and the licence was extinguished.
* Rebuilt as a coffee house by William Stephens Clark in 1894 to the design by his nephew William
Reynolds.
* Regained its licence in 1979
Finished!
Cross road to Shoe Museum.