27 Harlescott Close Shrewsbury

Hello Sandra. Yes, the houses (cannot say about bungalow/s) in Haughmond Avenue and, behind, Harlescott Close were built as accommodation for the Royal Flying Corps, later RAF depot.The land, 60 acres in total, was bought from Hugh Dryden Corbet's Sundorne estate during WWI. Continued to 1932.

The CO's residence was between Roseway and Rosedale, became the Vicarage, then more recently demolished for the Social Club car park. I cannot say if the surviving houses were originally for officers. I thought that they were NCOs married quarters.

My memory of what one was told in childhood is confirmed by Dr Barry Trinder's "Beyond the Bridges", p 165.

Thank you Martin

I should of know you would have the answer, I have the book and it is interesting, my grandparents lived in one of 2 bungalows in the middle of Harlescott Close, they have been replaced by more modern bungalows, the bungalow had a numbers on the bedroom doors, they had 11 children living there so it was quite spacious, I will speak to one of my Uncles later this morning and ask him for more information.

Sandra

I "bumped" into your uncle Bob on Tuesday!

 Eric thinks the bungalow was the Officers Mess, I wonder if anyone has acces to the 1911 census because I think the bungalow's (there were 2 of them the other was occupied by the Lloyd family) were built before the other houses, it had both electric and gas for lighting.

Hello Sandra

Using street name search in the 1911 census the only one with Harlescott in it is Harlescott Lane.

There are a few BURGWINs in Shrewsbury including a family in Frankwell.

Mike

Mike

Thanks for that information, its just that as the bungalow had gas lighting it I assumed it was pre 1911

Sandra

Sandra, the land for the depot was not bought until well into WWI.

(It is sometimes said about gas-lit properties that the mantle did not always pass to the children).

Thanks for that info. it looks as though it was the officers mess then.

Sandra