Yeovil's Virtual Museum,
the A-to-Z of Yeovil's History

Penn Steps

Connecting Park Street with Penn Hill

 

Originally known as Frogg Lane or Frogg Street, Park Street was laid out and built by Peter Daniell between 1825 and 1834 along the edge of his Penn House estate.

It appears that he built Penn Hill (the road) during the later 1830s, since the road does not appear on maps until the 1842 Tithe Map. The same map, by Edward Bullock Watts, also shows that Penn Steps, connecting Park Street and Penn Hill, had been constructed by this date - presumably also by Peter Daniell.

 

The 1842 Tithe Map showing Penn Steps, at centre between Parcels 420 and 431, connecting Park Street and Penn Hill.

 

An aerial photograph of 1953 showing the whole length of Park Street running across the centre of the photograph from its junction with Penn Hill and Belmont at left (obscured by trees) to its junction with South Street at right. Left of centre, and running from Park Street to Penn Hill is seen the white line of Penn Steps.

 

 

 

The steps from Park Street leading to Penn Hill. Photographed in 1959.

 

From my collection

Penn Steps photographed around 1960 by Yeovil photographer HA 'Jack' Cooper and produced as a postcard.

 

Courtesy of Chris Rendell

Penn Steps photographed in 1985.

 

Courtesy of Colin Haine. This photograph features in my book "Now That's What I Call Yeovil"

One of the few remnants of Park Street surviving today are the steps leading from Park Street up to Penn Hill and still offering wonderful views across to Summerhouse Hill from the top. Photographed in 1986.

 

The view from the top of the steps, photographed in 2022.

 

... and from the bottom. Again photographed in 2022.