Author Archives: lytteltonwitch

Opawa Rd – Named because it runs through the suburb of Opawa which, in turn, is named after Opawaho, the Māori name for the Heathcote River. First mentioned in the Star in 1877 in a report of a meeting of the Heathcote Road Board. Appears on an 1879 map. A small amount of information from …

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Bronte Place in Waltham – Named after Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte. The Bronte sisters were 19th century authors from Yorkshire, England. Named to continue the theme of “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham named by a committee of the Sydenham Borough Council on 19 January 1880.First appears in street directories in …

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Manatu Lane in Waltham and this street wasn’t on the library website. There are only 14 houses here and most were built in 1970s but one dates from 1930. This lane is where 56 Opawa Rd used to be and I suspect that it would have been the address for the house from the 1930s. …

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Raycroft St in Waltham – formerly Reycroft Street. Also part of York Street. First mentioned in The Press in 1898. First appears in street directories in 1909 as Reycroft Street. Becomes Raycroft Street in 1914. York Street north of Opawa Road was incorporated into and renamed Raycroft Street on 1 September 1948 when 120 streets …

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Mowbray St in Waltham- Probably named after Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England. Named in 1897 by Harman and Stevens, land and commission agents.A small amount of information from the library website. I found the same information about Harman and Stevens in Papers Past. There were several ads in 1897 for the sale of sections. In 1904 …

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Defoe Place in Waltham – formerly part of Cecil Street. Named after Daniel Defoe (1660-1731). Maps in street directories in 1983 show Cecil Street split into two, the section between Brougham Street and Shakespeare Road becoming Defoe Place and the section between Hastings Street and Brougham Street becoming Cecil Place. Defoe was the author of …

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Thackeray Place and Thackeray Street – formerly Thackeray Street Named after William Makepeace Thackeray (1811- 1863). Thackeray was a novelist and essayist. One of the “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham named by a committee of the Sydenham Borough Council on 19 January 1880. Developed on land owned by Harman and Stevens, …

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Walpole St – Named after Horace Walpole (1717-1797). Walpole was author of the first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto. One of the “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham named by a committee of the Sydenham Borough Council on 19 January 1880. First appears in street directories in 1887.A small amount of …

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Shakespeare Rd in Waltham- Named after William Shakespeare (1564-1616). Shakespeare was a playwright. One of the “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham named by a committee of the Sydenham Borough Council on 19 January 1880. First appears in street directories in 1887.A small amount of information from the library website and nothing …

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Dewsbury Lane in Sydenham – Little Queen Street and Dewsbury’s Lane. Named after Benjamin Dewsbury (1801?- 1886). Little Queen Street is mentioned in the Star in 1879 and appears there as late as 1909. Dewsbury was a Methodist lay preacher. He arrived in Canterbury in 1863. Dewsbury’s Lane is described in The Press in 1882 …

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