court ash Terrace

court aSH Terrace

Joining Court Ash with Reckleford

 

Court Ash Terrace survives as a short cul-de-sac off Court Ash and running northeast outside the former Odeon cinema. Originally, however, it ran all the way from Court Ash to today's Reckleford at the point where Higher Kingston became Reckleford Hill, opposite the Black Horse.

It was never densely populated with the whole of its western side bordering Bide's Gardens, donated to the town in 1916 and formerly the gardens of Kingston Manor House. On its western side, at the northern end, were a couple of cottages (photographed below) demolished for the widening of Reckleford. Much of the western side was flanked by a large orchard, seen on the map below, and finally the large, nine-bedroomed Court Ash House set in its own extensive grounds was located at the junction with Court Ash.

Court Ash House was demolished to make way for the Odeon cinema, which opened in 1937, thus altering the southern end of Court Ash Terrace forever, while the northern end was blocked off and the cottages destroyed for the widening of Reckleford in the mid-1960s.

Today Court Ash Terrace is a short cul-de-sac in front of the former cinema with a small car park along its western side and steps at the northern end leading to Reckleford.

 

MAP

 

Map based on the 1886 Ordnance Survey with Court Ash Terrace running diagonally across the centre top, from Court Ash to Reckleford. The open area at top left is Bide's Gardens.

 

Gallery

 

 

Court Ash seen from Kingston in a colourised photograph of around 1946. Bide's Gardens is at left, the Odeon Cinema, dating to 1937, lies ahead with Court Ash Terrace running to the left in front of it while Court Ash proper runs to its right, out of sight in this photograph. At right is Vincent's car showrooms.

 

This postcard dates to the 1920's and shows the path along the edge of Bide's Gardens at right. At a much lower level to the left is Court Ash Terrace with vehicles waiting to get into the market. At extreme left is Court Ash House in the only photograph I know of it. The house was demolished in the early 1930s to make way for the new Odeon cinema on its site. Court Ash runs across the photograph from Vincent's showrooms, glimpsed through the trees at centre right, then past Court Ash House.

 


From the Cave Collection (colourised), Courtesy of South Somerset Heritage Collection

This photograph, taken in the early 1960's looks down Reckleford Hill from the Avenue / Court Ash Terrace crossroads. The entrance to the Avenue is at left with the sign of the Black Horse evident on the corner. At right is the entrance to Court Ash Terrace - this section of Court Ash was closed a short while after this photograph was taken and the whole area including the top section of Court Ash Terrace as well as all the buildings to the Nags Head was redeveloped as part of the widening of Reckleford.

 


From the Cave collection (colourised). Courtesy of South Somerset Heritage Collection

This photograph, of the early 1960s, was taken from the entrance to the Avenue with Reckleford running across the photograph. The houses are the cottages at the northeast corner of Court Ash Terrace. At right, the tree is in Bide's Gardens.

 


A 1960's photograph of the 'top' end of Bide's Gardens at left. This the junction of Reckleford, running across the photograph, The Avenue with the red car exiting onto Reckleford and Court Ash Terrace in the lower half of the photograph. At top right is the Black Horse.

Seen from The Avenue around 1965, Reckleford runs across the photograph with the two cars while ahead is Court Ash Terrace. The cottages had been demolished giving a clear view of the cattle market buildings at left and the Odeon cinema ahead.

 


Courtesy of Jack Sweet

Court Ash Terrace photographed from Reckleford in 1993.

 


Courtesy of Jack Sweet

The covered entrance to the former Vincent's car park in Court Ash Terrace, next to the Odeon Cinema. Photographed in 1993.

 


Courtesy of Jack Sweet

Court Ash Terrace to the left, with the Odeon Cinema in its guise as the MGM Cinema in 1993.

 

The remains of Court Ash Terrace photographed in 2014. Remnants of Bide's Gardens at left and the former Odeon cinema at right. The steps at the far end (see below) lead to Reckleford.

 

Court Ash Terrace seen from the steps leading to Reckleford. Photographed in 2014.