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Books > Hythe, Romney Marsh and Ashford Photographic Memories
Ashford, Grammar School 1901 (ref. 47531) | This is a fine clear
photograph of this ivy-
clad school building with
its typical Victorian
architecture and
interesting bell tower.
The school was built in
the 1880s, and is now
the Ashford North Stone.
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Ashford, the Roman Catholic Church 1908 (ref. 60333) | There is an interesting group
in front of the attractive
church. The man in the
white hat in the background
and the three boys in front
of him are all looking this
way. Are they watching the
girl pushing the pram, or the
photographer? The church
itself was built in 1865, but
congregations dwindled
over the years; it was
demolished in 1990.
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Ashford, The War Memorial c1960 (ref. A71037) | The second of the two major wars, the dead of which are commemorated in this
memorial, would have still been fresh in the memories of the people sitting here.
This scene remains unchanged today. | Add your own Memory
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Ashford, High Street c1960 (ref. A71045) | Smart dress and good
behaviour are to be seen
here in front of the
picturesque Clock House
Pavilion. And there are no
skateboards or litter in
this park scene from a
more orderly age.
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Ashford, Elwick Road 1901 (ref. 47526) | This photograph was
taken a century ago, and
a world away from the
same road today, which
seems at times like a
public motor-racing
circuit - it is now part of
the Ashford ring road.
Again we see attentive
pedestrians, and manure
going to waste in the roof!
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Ashford, 1903 (ref. 50328) | The church is close to
the photographer, yet he
is obviously in a rural
location. This shows how
comparatively small
Ashford was a century
ago. Will growth on a
similar scale take place
over the next hundred years?
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Ashford, High Street 1901 (ref. 47522) | This quiet empty street pictured here contrasts with the bustle
of today's pedestrianised area, which is often occupied by
a busy market. Centre left of the picture we can see a Bon
Marché shop; the Bingo Hall now stands on this site.
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Ashford, Lower High Street c1965 (ref. A71064) | Here we have another
view of the High Street
before
pedestrianisation. It is
interesting that some
things have not
changed: the Co-
operative Society shop
is still in the same
building, for instance,
on the right with the
clock above the shop
sign. Next door is a
Pricerite supermarket.
In later years the town's
Job Centre occupied
these premises; today
it is the site of the
Careers Office.
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Ashford, High Street 1901 (ref. 47521) | Although the street layout at this point is the same today, most of the buildings have changed beyond recognition.
On the left, note the interesting top hat trade sign above a shop awning. A little further down the street, a boy
carries a billboard advertising 'Hilton's Boot Sale'. Note the building in the centre by the attractive street lamp -
we will see it again.
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Ashford, Church Road 1901 (ref. 47525) | This scene is recognisable today only by the presence of the parish church in the distance. Both the
Congregational Church and the houses next to it on the left were demolished in the 1970s to make way for the
town's Magistrates Court.
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Ashford, the Parish Church c1965 (ref. A71079) | Said to be one of the finest town churches in Kent, the parish church is built of Kentish ragstone and has an
impressive interior. The tower stands 121ft high, and the church can seat up to 1,700 people. A famous curate
was the Reverend Richard Barham, who later moved to Romney Marsh and wrote the 'Ingoldsby Legends'.
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Ashford, the River c1950 (ref. A71018) | This is a nostalgic
1950s scene, with
plenty of period cars
and typical 20th-
century architecture.
Shop signs display
familiar and unfamiliar
names, and plenty of
attractive old houses
are still in evidence in
the background.
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Ashford, the Churchyard c1965 (ref. A71075) | This remains a quiet oasis in
an otherwise bustling town.
Here office workers can eat
their lunchtime sandwiches
in peace. The old building
second door up on the left
was once the town's
Grammar School, founded
by Norton Knatchbull in
1635. It now houses the
town museum, which is
open from April to October.
Next to this now stands the
Tourist Information Centre.
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Ashford, High Street and Church 1901 (ref. 47524) | Here we see the Parish Church as we
look from the High Street through
Middle Row, part of the 'old town' of
Ashford. On the left can be seen the
drinking fountain, which was built
over a natural spring; it operated until
1930. There is now an ornamental
fountain a little further east along the
High Street. Note the oyster and ice
merchant behind the fountain, where
estate agents Mann and Co now are.
On the right we can also see the
town thermometer attached to a wall,
as an earlier view showed.
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Ashford, Godinton Road 1908 (ref. 60327) | Where now heavy
traffic pours both ways
along this road, children
played in the street
early this century. The
only vehicles in
evidence are a cart
pushed by two boys,
and in the distance a
bicycle being ridden.
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Ashford, Station Road c1950 (ref. A71002) | Were it not for the public
house on the right, this
scene would be
completely
unrecognisable. The
Kent Arms is now the Fat
Fiddler public house.
Up the road on the right
beyond the pub now
stand Crouch's garage,
the Royal Mail Sorting
Office, Kent House and
the Ashford bowling
alley. Note the traffic
policeman standing in
the road - he is hardly
needed, we might think.
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Ashford, Marsh Street 1903 (ref. 50330) | This street is now known as
Station Road, and is part of
the ring road. Almost every
building we can see here has
since been demolished. The
one notable exception is the
imposing Baptist Church
building on the left-hand side
of the road. Opposite to this
can be seen a bicycle wheel
trader's sign above Randalls,
the bicycle and tricycle
manufacturer; a large office
block now occupies the site.
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Bethersden, Forge Hill c1955 (ref. B571004) | The good road surface seen here contrasts with the situation in the 18th century. Then, the well-to-do of the area
used to have their coaches drawn by oxen in order to negotiate safely the boggy roads, which in bad weather were
reputed to be the worst in Kent.
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Eastwell, Church and Lake 1901 (ref. 47539) | The church and the house amongst the trees beside the lake in Eastwell Park make a haunting and atmospheric
view. In these grounds stands the Bethersden marble tomb of Richard Plantagenet, son of Richard III. It had been
much vandalised over the years, but it has recently been restored by local author Michael Jack.
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Ham Street, the Village 1909 (ref. 61575) | This is the main street through the village, which is apparently absolutely deserted - the photograph was taken in
much quieter times. Since the period of the picture, there has been a lot of modern housing development here.
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