Yeovil's Virtual Museum

queen street

A cul-de-sac off Huish

 

Built among empty fields to the north of Huish, probably during the 1860s or 1870s, (at least between 1856 and 1886) Queen Street was a quiet cul-de-sac until it was completely obliterated with the building of Queensway in the mid-1970s.

Queen Street was built on the former field known as Willis' Orchard (Parcel 591). The 1846 Tithe Apportionment noted that Jane Newman was the owner of Willis' Orchard and Berkley Newman was the tenant. The orchard measured 2a 0r 36p.

At the junction with Huish, on the western corner, was the Victoria Inn complete with a small grocery shop. On the opposite corner there was, at one time, a beerhouse which later became an off-license and grocery shop. There was a further small grocery shop at number 67, run by Charles Lane photographed below. At the far end of Queen Street was the Yeovil Dairy.

 

 

This 1946 aerial photograph shows Huish running across the bottom with the famous sloping pitch of Yeovil Town FC at right centre. Queen Street runs vertically at centre.

 

....and then came Queensway. The same view today (nicked from Google maps) with Queensway and the Tesco store and car park dominating the scene.

 

 

A notice of sale of three houses in Queen Street, giving a good description of the properties, placed in the 5 December 1890 edition of the Western Gazette.

 

From my collection

This photograph is taken from a postcard of 1934 viewed from Hendford Hill. Part of Huish, with an amazing amount of open space, runs across the centre of the image. At centre is seen the entrance to, and the rooftops of, Queen Street. At right is Huish School.

 

This photograph dates to about 1900 and looks along Huish with the junction of Queen Street at centre. The left side of the junction was the Victoria Inn and it clearly operated as a shop as well - the window facing Queen Street that bisects the terrace clearly advertising Fry's chocolate! The building on the opposite corner had, at one time, been a beerhouse and was later converted into an off-license and shop - see following photographs.

 

Queen Street decorated to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953.

 

A photograph of the mid-1960s taken from Huish and looking north along Queen Street.

 

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

The Victoria Inn and the small integrated shop on the corner of Queen Street. Photographed in the 1960s from Huish.

 

Again taken during the 1960s, this colourised photograph is taken from the 'top' of Queen Street and looks south towards Huish. It certainly gives a good impression of how steep the road was.

 

The Boys Brigade parade along Huish in the late 1970's and pass by Hoskins and Childs store which, according to the signage at first floor was still selling Courage beer, ales and stout. Where the parking sign is, used to be Queen Street and in the space between the car park sign and the next building (which still exists) was where, until shortly before this photo was taken, the Victoria Inn had stood.  

 

Charles Lane, in a colourised photograph of around 1900, standing in the doorway of his general grocery shop at 67 Queen Street.