Southborough
Southborough photos (26 available)
Southborough maps (2 available)
Map of Kent
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Southborough books (30 available)
- 6 photos on Southborough appear in 4 Frith books - View photos of Southborough
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Southborough and Kent
Southborough memories
Read and share memories of Southborough and Kent inspired by Frith photos
Shopping at the Parade
The Parade, Southborogh, was where my mother, Ivy, did most of her shopping. At that time you could buy pretty well everything you would need in the Parade. Trips into Tunbridge Wells were only taken if there was a need for something very special or the "sales" were on!!
Just round the corner in Pennington Road was an Off Licence called "Fisters" which is where we bought our rationed sweets - usually Sharps Creamy Toffees in my case. On Sundays my brother David, would be sent up the Fisters just before lunch. We always had a bottle of "cream soda" or a bottle of Tizer and a block of ice cream. As a pudding my brother had his ice cream in ...read more here
Contributed by Michael Willcocks
Fishing
This is the Fish Pond at Holden Corner, Southborough. This was one of the two accessible and popular places for boys to go fishing in Southborough - the other was the Great Bounds Lake, near Bidborough.
As a boy in the 1940s and early 50s my Dad, Jack, bought me a fishing rod and my Dad and I would go down to the pond to go fishing.
As I recall there was very little change from when the photo was taken.
For a time in the late 40s and early 50s the cottage in the top corner was a small corner shop which was handy for snacks, ice cream or bottle of Tizer!
For some reason the bigger boys fished ...read more here
Contributed by Michael Willcocks
Kent memories
Shopping at the Parade
The Parade, Southborogh, was where my mother, Ivy, did most of her shopping. At that time you could buy pretty well everything you would need in the Parade. Trips into Tunbridge Wells were only taken if there was a need for something very special or the "sales" were on!!
Just round the corner in Pennington Road was an Off Licence called "Fisters" which is where we bought our rationed sweets - usually Sharps Creamy Toffees in my case. On Sundays my brother David, would be sent up the Fisters just before lunch. We always had a bottle of "cream soda" or a bottle of Tizer and a block of ice cream. As a pudding my brother had his ice cream in ...read more here
A memory of Southborough contributed by Michael Willcocks
Fishing
This is the Fish Pond at Holden Corner, Southborough. This was one of the two accessible and popular places for boys to go fishing in Southborough - the other was the Great Bounds Lake, near Bidborough.
As a boy in the 1940s and early 50s my Dad, Jack, bought me a fishing rod and my Dad and I would go down to the pond to go fishing.
As I recall there was very little change from when the photo was taken.
For a time in the late 40s and early 50s the cottage in the top corner was a small corner shop which was handy for snacks, ice cream or bottle of Tizer!
For some reason the bigger boys fished ...read more here
A memory of Southborough contributed by Michael Willcocks
Extracts From Southborough & Kent books
Gradually absorbed to become a suburb of Tunbridge Wells over the first half of the 20th century, this section of village shops and businesses along the main highway running between London and Eastbourne continued to flourish. There is little to distinguish this scene from one at the turn of the century, except for the installation of the tall lamp standards, the pedestrian crossing and the parking restriction signs.
An extract from from"Kent Living Memories".
In 1933, 70 acres of chalk
downland were acquired by
Chatham and Gillingham
councils to create this
beautiful open countryside
nature reserve between the
two towns. The local wildlife
includes several species of
orchids and butterflies. At
the centre of this picture,
we can see the horses of
travellers whose mobile
homes are among the trees.
An extract from from"Chatham and the Medway Towns Photographic Memories".
The bus advertises Fremlins’
ales outside the Red Lion,
a Style & Winch house of
flamboyant grandeur, but
now no more, sad to say.
There are now traffic lights
and a great deal more
traffic where this policeman
stands on point duty at the
junction of High Street with
Corporation Street (left) and
Star Hill (right).
An extract from from"Chatham and the Medway Towns Photographic Memories".
The virtual absence of
motor traffic suggests that
this photograph may have
been taken in 1956, during
the Suez Crisis petrol
rationing, which did not
end until the following year.
The restrained architecture
of The Eagle Tavern
contrasts with that of both
the Town Hall and the
Chatham Constitution Club
on the right of this picture.
An extract from from"Chatham and the Medway Towns Photographic Memories".
This part of the High Street is very different today, with The Sun Hotel gone from its Medway
Street corner site. The dome further down the street was on the old Empire Theatre, which
could seat 2,500 people. It specialised in music hall-style entertainment before it closed
during the 1960s.
An extract from from"Chatham and the Medway Towns Photographic Memories".