Place Names of Calne: Post-war Housing Scheme (Abberd Estate)

Abberd Way

Calne borough council built housing on Abberd Way from 1945s[1]. This was due to the urgent need for housing that was identified in the early 1940s[2], but postponed in October 1940 due to the critical circumstances of the war making it necessary to cut expenditure where possible[3].

It was planned that work on the sewers and road would start on 2 June 1945, but owning to labour shortage this didn't happen[4]. Therefore arrangements were made that meant the construction of the roads, sewers, and surface water drains were completed by around 60 German prisoners-of-war[5] (probably from the POW camp in Yatesbury, which housed around 800 Germans)[6].

A newspaper article of May 1946 reports that the Ministry of Health had consented to Calne town council accepting a negotiated tender of £23,850 for the erection of 22 houses at Abberd, however, the builder(s) in question are not named[7].

By 1949, 78 houses had been built, with another 24 under construction at that time[8]. 1949 also saw the provision of electric street lamps, with 44 divided between "Wood Street, Oxford Road, Oxford Road to the Abberd housing site, Abberd Way, The Pippin, Cop Croft and Zion Lane", with councillor H. Cooper stating that the lighting scheme was a "dire necessity"[9]. These lamps tended to be installed on concrete posts, I don't think there are any of these remaining on the streets mentioned above.

The post-war housing scheme at Abberd extended to Honey Garston and The Slades. Penn Hill Road and Woodhill Avenue, of similar design, must have been a continuation of the post-war building.


Also in 1945 there were negotiations with a Mr. Henly, the owner of the field Bryant's Close. At the time of the news report, the land was an expensive £350 per acre, which over 17 acres would cost around £6000, which would lead to around 150 much needed houses. I cannot find any details about the progression of any negotiations, but by 1960 around 275 houses had been built in the streets north of Bryans Close Road, which was on the south side of Bryants Close field and had 50 houses in the 1930s[10].



References:
[1] Calne: The town in the 20th century | British History Online. 2019. Calne: The town in the 20th century | British History Online. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp44-51. [Accessed 23 January 2019].
[2] Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year ending 31st December 1943. 
[3] n.n (1940) 'Housing scheme postponed' Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 19 October 1940. Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001557/19401019/113/0003?browse=False [Accessed on 05 September 2019]
[4] n.n (1945) 'Housing Report' Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 16 June 1945. Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001557/19450616/182/0008?browse=False [Accessed on 05 September 2019]
[5] Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year ending 31st December 1945.
[6] The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 2019. Calne children help in dig to discover more about prisoner of war camp | The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/9965786.calne-children-help-in-dig-to-discover-more-about-prisoner-of-war-camp/. [Accessed 24 July 2019]. 
[7]  n.n (1946) 'Houses to be built at Calne' Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 18 May 1946. Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000513/19460518/073/0005 [Accessed on 05 September 2019]

[8] Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year ending 31st December 1949.

[9] n.n (1946) 'Street Lighting' Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 15 October 1949. Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001557/19491015/083/0003 [Accessed on 05 September 2019]

[10] Calne: The town in the 20th century | British History Online. 2019. Calne: The town in the 20th century | British History Online. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp44-51. [Accessed 05 September 2019].