The Thoroughfare - North-Western Side
Looking up the Thoroughfare from the junction with Cumberland Street.
R H Rowland’s store on the Thoroughfare. After the Second World War the building was taken over by F W Woolworth. They closed in 2009. The building is now occupied by Lloyds the Chemists and FatFace.
R H Rowland and Sons’ department store on the Thoroughfare. After the Second World War the building was taken over by F W Woolworth. They closed in 2009. The building is now occupied by Lloyds the Chemists and Fat Face.
R H Rowland and Sons had a workshop behind the store.
This pre-1900 photograph shows Savill late Dent, Saddler and Harness Maker, occupying a timber-framed building.
Savill had taken over Dent’s saddlery in 1891.
T W Dent (grandson of the former owner) took over Savill’s saddlery in 1900.
By 1900 the timber-framed building had been replaced with an impressive brick-built building which was occupied from about 1906 by C Markwell – The People’s Tailor and Outfitter.
This photograph shows part of the frontage of 13 Thoroughfare, apparently between 1902 and 1906, when the business was in the hands of Charles Markwell’s predecessors, H. Austin & Son, and not yet advertised as the people’s tailor and outfitter.
The adjoining building is the Royal Oak Inn, photographed here circa 1904. It had a rear courtyard which was reached via a wide entrance next to the LODER PRINTER sign.
Viewed from the opposite direction, the entrance to the yard of the Royal Oak Inn is at the right-hand edge of this photograph.
Entering the yard of the Royal Oak Inn. Across the road at 26 Thoroughfare is photographer Henry Welton’s shop.
The Loder family had a long history as printers and book sellers. By 1830 John Loder I (1788-1865) took over a shop in the Thoroughfare. At that time he is recorded as being a bookseller, stationer and printer. He was dealing in patent medicine, music and musical instruments. In 1871 his son John Loder II (1825-1917) is listed as a bookseller, printer, bookbinder, commercial and fancy stationer, news agent and music seller.
John Loder II was very active in the public life of Woodbridge. He was on the Woodbridge Urban District Council and served as its Chairman from 1897 to 1901.
John Loder II became embroiled in a libel action in 1879 and had to pay £100 damages. He was such a respected and trusted townsman that the inhabitants of Woodbridge set up a fund to pay the damages but he felt that he could not accept the £250 eventually raised. Instead he used it to improve the town by having a channel dug to cut off the troublesome corner of the river by Kyson Point. “Loder’s Cut” runs through an extensive area of saltings which are covered at high tide and it has been a blessing to yachtsmen ever since.
Smith’s butchers shop on the Thoroughfare was by the entrance to New Street.
A later photograph of Smith’s butchers shop.
Roger C. Notcutt opened a “floral establishment” at 31 the Thoroughfare by 1903.
A later picture of Notcutt’s flower and seed shop on the corner of New Street.
Tyson’s grocery store on the Thoroughfare was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Job Centre.
By 1840 there was a house and stone mason’s yard set back from the entrance to Sun Lane and there was a house and garden near to the entrance to Pytches Road.
Sometime later a larger house was built which was set back from the other house and the stone mason’s yard.
Eventually an imposing line of seven houses were built, set back from the road.
Between the two sets of buildings there was a sizable drive way leading to a substantial house within large grounds.
