streetsofbowdon.co.uk
Where is it?
Blueberry Road...
...is a residential street running between Stanhope Road and Eyebrook Road. The dwellings are all detached and generally quite imposing.
OS grid ref.: SJ 7528 8654
what3words ref.: ///never.booth.tracks
Date of photography: January 2021
Bow Green Road
A bit of history
Bow Green Road is probably the longest road in Bowdon and, as the B5161, one of the very few classified ones. It is mediaeval, forming part of a route that extended from the hamlet of Streethead Cottages (at the junction with the A56), along the road to the church, and then down The Firs and Bowdon Road to Altrincham6. Most of the housing in this area was first built between 1939 and 20157.
OS grid ref.: SJ7544 8642
what3words ref.: ///wire.cheese.under
Date of photography: December 2020/March 2021
Drop me a line
Please get in touch if you have any information about the road and its history, or even the specific property where you live. Any trivia about famous (former) residents is always welcome!
A walk down Bow Green Road
A substantial property, facing north, located between Gaddum Road and Talbot Road as you drop down from Langham Road. Clearly a recent addition.
Bow Villas
By contrast, on the other side of the road and directly opposite the entrance to Gaddum Road, are two pairs of much older semi-detached properties known as "Bow Villas". These may well be the among the first houses to be built on the road.
The entrance to Bow Villas (see above). Apostrophes have clearly always been a problem!
This is the southernmost pair of the older, semi-detached properties known as "Bow Villas" (see above).
The northern end, curving up to the Park Road/Langham Road junction.
Another view of the northern end, between The Springs and Langham Road.
Old Well Cottage
Not a cottage anymore, this reserved property is situated on the western side of the road close to the southern end of The Springs. "Well" and "Springs" ought to indicate what used to be found here.
This is no. 9 Bow Green Road. It's called "Cloud 9".
Brooklands
"Brooklands" is one of the many large, detached houses on Bow Green Road. Currently (April '21) yours to rent from Gascoigne Halman for £10k/month (or to purchase for £1.95 million).
Click on the button below if you'd like to add any info about the history of this or any of the other properties on this street. Your contribution will be acknowledged!
'For sale' when photographed (Dec '20). Seems to me to have a pronounced "rustic" feel to it compared to most of the other houses on the road. Despite some speculation that there may once have been a farmhouse on this site, further research has shown this to be improbable.
These two properties are halfway along the north-south section of the road.
Christmas on Bow Green Road - a festive mood, not shared (as yet) by many of the other properties around here.
Still walking down Bow Green Road...
The corner plot at the southern end of the road where it meets the junction with Bow Lane. This property appears to be older than many of the others.
We've now reached the southern end of Bow Green Road and are walking westwards towards the A56. There are very few properties along this east-west section, which forms the southern limit of the built-up area (at present). This pair of cottages are two of the four houses close to the junction with Bow Lane.
There is no pavement along the east-west section of Bow Green Road. Instead, a gate leads onto this path, which runs parallel to the road.
I like to think that this gateway led from the road into one of the fields that lay along the north side of the road before the Eyebrook estate was built.
We're now close to the junction with Dunham Road (the A56), also known as Watling Street, a Roman road that used to link Chester and Ribchester (not the better known one, the line of which the A5 follows).
In medieval times there was a hamlet here called Streethead, and its presence is still evidenced in the names of some of the properties, e.g. Streethead Lodge and Streethead Cottages. See Dunham Road (South) below for more information about Streethead.
A very rural scene - a rarity on this web site!
This field is on the southern side of the road and lies at the junction with Dunham Road. Just south of here on Dunham Road lies a derelict mansion called Turpin's Hollow, which at the time of writing (March '21) is being restored.
Rumour has it that since permission has now been granted to restore Turpin's Hollow, it won't be long before permission is given to develop this area.
What's this?
Dunham Road (South)
Eyebrook Road
Some history
The road takes its name from the open field system that used to cover this area. It sits on impervious boulder clay and was formerly much wetter than it is today (the name means "island in the stream").
The road is entirely residential and, as is obvious from the photographs, consists of large prestigious properties. The outlier is the apparent remnant from the 60s, possibly the sole survivor of the type of housing that predominated here when the agricultural land was first developed.
The trend seems to be not so much move into an existing house, but knock it down and build a new one! Judging by its condition, our outlier will probably have disappeared by the end of the decade.
OS grid ref.: SJ 7497 8654
what3words ref.: ///puddings.manages.cooked
Date of photography: January/March 2021
A brisk walk along Eyebrook Road
An impressive property on the north-south section between Stanhope Road and Blueberry Road. It looks as if it belongs out in the country somewhere.
A modern property behind its regulation iron railings and gateway on the east side of the road.
I don't think this a rebuild, more a case of garden-grabbing of a corner plot at the junction with Blueberry Road.
On the west side towards the bottom of the north-south section. I think the current trend to grub out and pave over front gardens is a great shame.
A more modest property, with front garden, towards the bottom of the north-south section. Perhaps it'll be demolished when it's eventually sold?
We're now at the end of the north-south section and are looking back towards Barry Rise. The junction with Blueberry Road is half way up on the right.
Click a button below to jump to the dedicated web page.
The Eyebrook Road cul de sacs
The east-west section of Eyebrook Road had a number of cul de sacs with "royal" connotations, built along its southern edge during the 1990s. We're now going to examine each one in turn, travelling from west to east, i.e. Royal Gardens, Sandringham Close, Windsor Drive, Courtney Place, King's Acre and Wolsey Drive.
Where is it?
Stanhope Road...
...runs in a more or less westerly direction from Gaddum Road towards the A56, before taking a 90° turn to the north. It is purely residential.
OS grid ref.: SJ 7534 8667
what3words ref.: ///meals.headed.dawn
I hope you enjoy the site; if you have anything to add, drop me a line using this button.
Stanhope Road
The view northwards up the northern "hook" at the western end of Stanhope Road.
One of the more modern dwellings on Stanhope Road.
More views of Stanhope Road
Property for sale! At eastern end of Stanhope Road.
This shot shows how straight Stanhope Road is. The crossroad junction you might just be able to make out is with Barry Rise and Eyebrook Road.
View east from the Bow Green Road crossroads.
A footpath leading south off Stanhope Road towards Blueberry Road.
One of the large houses along Stanhope Road.
A view looking south from halfway up the northern "hook".
Another view looking south from the northern "hook", this time from the top end of the road.
Looking east again from the Bow Green Road crossroads.
Another dwelling on the north side of Stanhope Road.
Marlow Drive
Marlow Drive is a short, residential cul de sac at the far western end of Stanhope Road. It runs parallel to the A56.
The view south from Stanhope Road
OS grid ref.: SJ749 867
what3Words ref.: ///stiffly.gifts.lizard
Date of photography: November 2020
Looking north from the bottom end of Marlow Drive.
Late 2024 Update
Unsurprisingly perhaps, there's been a flurry of new visitors to the site since my presentation to the Hale U3A History Group on October 21st. If you're one of them - welcome! I hope you found the site and the talk interesting.
Instead of scrolling through all that boasting on social media, why not spend some time scrolling around your local area?
Click on the button below to start your exploration!