Photo Gallery

High Street circa 1906

This post card's photograph, taken about 1906, is typical in that at a glance little seems to have changed in Burbage but, when the detail is studied, much in fact has been altered.

When taking this shot, the photographer was standing near the centre of the High Street, looking south. Its location is outside the site of the Methodist Church (built 1907).

Note how narrow the High Street was at this point in those days. Although the houses on the left still exist, all that area before it (once the site of the Star & Cleaver Inn and two cottages) is now the road splay leading into Taskers Lane. The house on the right is The Laurels, built 1903, and now NV Spreadbury's electrical shop. Whilst the wall may look familiar only 1 of those 4 gate posts survive with both gateways having been blocked up and the near wall has been "moved" to allow car parking. Note the long demolished ornate porch.

The shop - the Village Stores - lies beyond the last gate post and lost its road-side bay window many, many years ago and the gable seen beyond it was demolished in about 1996. The next old thatched building was one of the main shops in the village and, until the business was taken over by Mr Hilliard in about 1903, it was, amongst many other things, the village's post office. It was probably demolished in the 1930s and Scott Close now stands on the site. Note that like the old White Hart Inn, it had steps leading up to its door.

The final house - Yew Tree Cottage - stands next to Jockey Lane and luckily survives although it had at one time been planned to demolish it to allow the High Street to be widened at what is its narrowest point.

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