The late 19th-Century development continues to define Brackenbury Village today, writes Jane Foster Smith
The development of the Avenue Estate in Hammersmith was a response to the demand for housing outside the London metropolis in the newly opened up areas attainable by the development of public transport.
The term ‘Avenue Estate’ referred to a housing development of 57 properties in Brackenbury Village located over portions of Beauclerc Road, Coulter Road, Hebron Road and bounded by Iffley Road to the west, Agate Road to the east.
The population of Hammersmith had increased rapidly and had grown into a thickly populated and largely industrialised district chiefly through early improvements like the Paddington and Grand Union Canals and the Great Western railway passing through the northern limit of the borough.
The first Hammersmith bridge opened in 1827 giving access to the southern banks of the river Thames. The arrival of better transport links and the increase in population resulted in former farm land, market gardens and brickworks being cleared, filled and drained.
Boom time in W6
Population growth in Hammersmith outstripped the national average: from the first census taken in 1801 the population was 5,600 persons, in 1831 10,222 persons. By 1861 the start of the building boom the population was 24,519 and by 1891 when the majority of Brackenbury Village had been developed, the census showed 97,239 persons.
Over these three census periods, 1801-1831; 1831-1861; 1861-1891; the national average increase in England and Wales 56%, 44% and 44%.
However, Hammersmith parish population grew 82%, 140% and 296% respectively. A growing population suggests the parish was becoming a dormitory for those who formerly might have lived and worked in the City of London and that “the general salubrity of the district” proved popular with merchants, bankers and artisans keen to move out of the city. In addition, there was large-scale immigration from Ireland, France and other European states.
Brackenbury Village and the majority of Hammersmith housing stock dates from the mid-1800s to just pre-war 1910s.
This provides a fairly regular conformity of London Victorian and Edwardian building styles despite several different building companies performing the building works.
Layout
The layout of the streets in the Avenue Estate is determined by the original tithe parcels, where parcel number 1338 was that parcel of land bound by Beauclerc, Hebron Road, part of Iffley and Agate Roads.
The tithe apportionment of 21 November 1845 shows the land owned by James Gomme and Stephen Gomme of whom little is known, but was occupied (i.e. farmed) by Thomas Day who lived at ‘The Day’s House’ located on New Road (now Goldhawk Road) on the north side where Ashchurch Park Villas joins Goldhawk Road. Thomas Day was a tenant farmer and market gardener with occupancy of many parcels between New Road (Goldhawk) and the Grove.
The term ‘Avenue Estate’ was coined from a short dead-end street called Avenue Road running south from New Road (Goldhawk) which predated the development, and likely gave access to the farmlands occupied by Thomas Day. This street was renamed Sycamore Gardens.
Family affair
The development between 1870 and 1885 was what we would today term a speculative housing estate, being financed by Alexander Macdonald who in his will dated 18th July 1878 bequeathed his estate to be held in trust for his daughter Jane Margaret (1849-1911).
The trust was managed by his wife Annie Louisa Macdonald and one John James Hamilton. Therefore, on Alexander Macdonald’s death on 29th May 1879, the freehold and leasehold interests including the Avenue Estate passed to Jane Margaret who had reached maturity and had married Hugh Bonham Carter (1832-1896) son of John Bonham Carter (1788-1838) Member of Parliament for Portsmouth from 1816 to 1838.
The Bonham Carter family retained the freeholds of the estate well into the 20th Century.
One initial lease granted in the Avenue Estate was on 30 Beauclerc Road on 5th March 1883 to Sophia Harriet Howell, for 99 years from 25th December 1882 with annual fee of £5-10s-0d. Sophia Howell was the wife of John Howell, Builder, of 100 Brook Green. The lease was granted on behalf of the Bonham Carter Trust, signed by Sir Maurice Bonham Carter KGB.
The establishment of freeholding with underlying leases was established from the outset of building the homes. Most artisans, shop owners, craftsmen and clerks living in Hammersmith could not afford to buy a freehold of a property outright, even if the owning family / trust were willing to sell them.
This situation continues today with many freehold/leasehold properties still existing.
