New Homes in Upchurch Oak Lane

Oak Lane c1955
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This line of new homes was built 1956/7 by local builder Gransden. Mr Gransden the owner had an office/yard/joinery factory in Oak Lane just below Wallbridge Lane and he and his family lived in Wallbridge Lane. This small development was of 2 types of semi-detached homes, those in the foreground being slightly smaller than those furtherback. We lived in a larger one (4th one down from the Victorian homes visible at the top of the photo). The house was brand new built from Newington Red bricks from Newington Brickfield, then on the A2, and was a very well built home. At that time there was no gas or main drainage in Upchurch. Thus all these homes had a deep brick-lined cesspit in the front garden. This was periodically emptied by the local authority. The photo shows homes well established with a made-up footpath that would have come somewhat later than 1955. These homes were in many ways the beginning of a change to Upchurch, with new people coming into a village where many worked locally on the land, in the brickfields, even on barges. The vicar at this time was Rev Clark, the entrance to the old vicarage (a magnificent Georgian house?) being almost opposite our home. Immediately opposite was a five-barred gate leading to the coachman's house, empty but far from being a ruin. Both propeties should have been saved. I believe the new vicarage is built in what was the coachhouse garden.