Barrett Lane

Barrett Lane today is just the short lane which goes north from the High Street. But in the 1800s and earlier it was a more important route, with a dog leg turning right towards the River Avon, known on one record as 'The Drove to Barratts'. This east-west part of Barrett Lane is actually still there today, but only as a footpath which leads to the main road at the bridge over the River Avon, as you reach Christian Malford.

The 1808 and 1839 surveys tell us that the fields east of the village, to the north and south of Barrett Lane, were known as 'the Barretts (or Barratts)'; some of them had the names of the tenants who had leased them. Barrett Lane was 'the Drove' or lane leading to 'Barrett' field and 'Great Barrett' field and 'Messiter's Barrett' and 'Ferris's Barrett' and so on.

The 1808 map had east, and the River Avon, at the top. #280 is the church; #293 is the house that became La Flambé; #283 is the house that is now 62 High Street.

This next map is the 1839 map, which has east at the right. The identifying numbers use a different system, but the layout of the village has hardly changed, with roughly the same houses in the same locations.