Skip to content
Accessibility
  • Text Size:
  • Normal
  • Large
  • Larger
  • Screen Colours:
  • Normal
  • Black & Yellow
The Ipswich Society
  • Home
    About Us Contact Us Membership Publications Links Privacy Notice
  • Newsletter
    Newsletter, July 2022 (Issue 230) Newsletter, April 2022 (Issue 229) Newsletter, January 2022 (Issue 228) Newsletter, October 2021 (Issue 227) Newsletter, July 2021 (Issue 226) Newsletter, April 2021 (Issue 225) Newsletter, January 2021 (issue 224) Newsletter, October 2020 (Issue 223) Newsletter, August 2020 (issue 222) Newsletter, July 2020 (Issue 221) Newsletter, May 2020 (issue 220) Newsletter, April 2020 (Issue 219) Newsletter, January 2020 (Issue 218) Newsletter, October 2019 (Issue 217) Newsletter, July 2019 (Issue 216) Newsletter, April 2019 (Issue 215) Newsletter, January 2019 (Issue 214) Newsletter, October 2018 (Issue 213) Newsletter, July 2018 (Issue 212) Newsletter, April 2018 (Issue 211) Newsletter, January 2018 (Issue 210) Newsletter, October 2017 (Issue 209) Newsletter, July 2017 (Issue 208) Newsletter. April 2017 (issue 207) Newsletter, January 2017 (Issue 206) Newsletter, October 2016 (issue 205) Newsletter, July 2016 (Issue 204) Newsletter, April 2016 (Issue 203) Newsletter, January 2016 (Issue 202) Newsletter, October 2015 (Issue 201) Newsletter, July 2015 (Issue 200) Newsletter, April 2015 (Issue 199) Newsletter, January 2015 (Issue 198) Newsletter, October 2014 (Issue 197) Newsletter, July 2014 (Issue 196) Newsletter, April 2014 (Issue 195) Newsletter, January 2014 (Issue 194) Newsletter, October 2013 (Issue 193) Newsletter, July 2013 (Issue 192) Newsletter, April 2013 (Issue 191) Newsletter, January 2013 (Issue 190) Newsletter, October 2012 (Issue 189) Newsletter, July 2012 (Issue 188) Newsletter, April 2012 (Issue 187) Newsletter, January 2012 (Issue 186) Newsletter, October 2011 (issue 185) Newsletter, July 2011 (issue 184) Newsletter, April 2011 (issue 183) Newsletter, January 2011 (issue 182) Newsletter, October 2010 (Issue 181) Newsletter, July 2010 (Issue 180) Newsletter, April 2010 (Issue 179) Newsletter, January 2010 (Issue 178) Newsletter, October 2009 (Issue 177) Newsletter, July 2009 (Issue 176) Newsletter, April 2009 (Issue 175) Newsletter, January 2009 (Issue 174) Newsletter, October 2008 (Issue 173) Newsletter, July 2008 (issue 172) Newsletter, April 2008 (issue 171) Newsletter, January 2008 (Issue 170) Newsletter, October 2007 (Issue 169) Newsletter, October 2005 (Issue 161) Newsletter, July 2005 (Issue 160) Newsletter, April 2005 (Issue 159) Newsletter, January 2005 (Issue 158) Newsletter, October 2004 (Issue 157) Newsletter, July 2004 (Issue 156) Newsletter, April 2004 (Issue 155) Newsletter, January 2004 (Issue 154) Newsletter, October 2003 (Issue 153) Newsletter, July 2003 (Issue 152) Newsletter, April 2003 (Issue 151) Newsletter, January 2003 (Issue 150) Newsletter, October 2002 (Issue 149) Newsletter, July 2002 (Issue 148) Newsletter, April 2002 (Issue 147) Newsletter, January 2002 (Issue 146) Newsletter, October 2001 (Issue 145) Newsletter, July 2001 (Issue 144) Newsletter, April 2001 (Issue 143) Newsletter, January 2001 (Issue 142) Newsletter, October 2000 (Issue 141) Newsletter, July 2000 (Issue 140) Newsletter, April 2000 (Issue 139) Newsletter, January 2000 (Issue 138) Newsletter, July 1990 (Issue 100)
  • Planning
  • Events
    2022 Annual Awards Evening 2022 Heritage Open Days - Ipswich Forthcoming Events 2022
  • Fore St Facelift
    '61 Drawings '61 Photographs Audio/Film History Press/print Credits
  • Heritage Icons
    Ancient House Arlingtons Bethesda Baptist Church Blackfriars Brickmakers Wood Broomhill Library Broomhill Lido Cardinal Wolsey Christchurch Mansion Christ Church URC church 4 College Street Custom House Felaw's house Fore Street Baths Freemasons Hall Gippeswyk Hall Great White Horse Guided walks Ipswich Institute ​​​​​​​Ipswich Museum ​​​​​​​Ipswich School Ipswich Station Isaac Lord complex Merchant House Mutual House The Old Bell Orwell Bridge Public Hall Pykenham's Gatehouse Ragged Schools St Clement's Church St Helen's Church St Lawrence Church St Margaret's Church St Mary at the Elms Church St Mary le Tower Church St Mary at Stoke Church St Pancras Church St Peter's Church St Stephen's Church Stoke Hill Tunnel The Hold Tidal barrier Tooley's House Town Hall & Corn Exchange Unitarian Meeting House Wet Dock WTW (Willis Building)
  • Blue plaques
    Other plaques in Ipswich
  • Archive
    Original Society website Banner/map Annual reviews by the Chair

Saving the Walk

Newsletter » Newsletter, April 2011 (issue 183) » Saving the Walk

Saving the Walk

Bob Markham, a well known member of the Society who has carried out extensive research into the history of public transport in Ipswich, was the speaker in our lecture on 12 January. The subject for Bob's presentation was the development of new residential areas in Ipswich mainly from 1879 until the present day, and the introduction of public transport to serve the residents of these new areas.

Until the fourth quarter of the 19th century the main residential areas were within a one mile radius of the Cornhill, although new developments were taking place in California, the area between Spring and Foxhall Roads. Residents made their journeys to work and leisure on foot, with the exception of the small minority with their own horse drawn forms of transport.

The first public transport was introduced in 1880 in the form of horse trams, with routes from the Cornhill along Norwich Road to Brooks Hall Road; to Derby Road station via Spring Road and St John's Road; and to Ipswich railway station.

In 1903 Ipswich Corporation opened a new electricity power station in Constantine Road which enabled an electric tram system to be introduced. The routes formerly operated by the horse trams were extended to Whitton, Bourne Bridge, Felixstowe Road (Royal Oak). Spring Road (Lattice Barn) and Bramford Road (Railway Bridge). In 1919 the Eastern Counties Road Car Company introduced a network of motor bus routes to the surrounding rural areas and also within the town to areas not covered by the trams, including Woodbridge Road and Hadleigh Road, where the first council houses were built in Allenby Road in the early 19205.

In the mid 1920s a very large development of local authority housing took place in the east between the Felixstowe and Nacton Roads. This was soon followed by a large development in the nearby Gainsborough area. In 1926 the electric trams were replaced by trolley buses, which enabled a network of routes to be introduced to serve these new residential areas in the east of the town and also to serve Foxhall and London Road areas, and Bramford Road beyond the railway bridge. In 1945 another large local authority housing development was commenced at Rushmere Hall. A new trolley bus route was introduced via Sidegate Lane.

In 1948 the Ipswich Corporation electricity undertaking was nationalised which resulted in a large increase in the cost of the power for the trolley buses and also the cost of installing the infrastructure of new routes. This resulted in the decision to replace trolley buses by motor buses. The first new motor bus route was opened along Norwich Road in 1950 to serve the new Whitehouse estate. Another council estate was developed at Maidenhall in the early 1950s, followed by a private housing development in the adjoining Stoke Park. A bus service was introduced via Wherstead Road to serve these areas.

During the 1950s and 1960s very large local authority housing developments took place at Chantry between Belstead and London Roads, so bus services were introduced to serve these new residents. In the north west of the town the first local authority housing development took place in the late 1930s. This was followed during the late 1940s until the 19705 by more developments of council and private housing between Norwich Road and Henley Road, so bus routes were created to serve these areas via Norwich Road. In the mid-1980s a network of new bus routes was introduced using small vehicles to serve some areas of the town not covered by the main routes. Ipswich Airport was closed by the Council in the early 1990s for the development of Ravenswood. A new bus service was introduced via Landseer Road to serve the area, thus providing links between the town centre, Ravenswood, Warren Heath and Ransomes Europark.

Bob showed a fascinating selection of slides illustrating the different types of architecture of the housing in these newly created residential areas and also views of their local shopping areas. He was supported by his wife, Caroline, who was responsible for the control of the technology used to project his excellent material.

Russell Nunn

Copyright © 2022, The Ipswich Society

onesuffolk

By using our website you are consenting to our use of cookies. If you would like to know how we use our cookies or how you can block cookies in your browser please click on our cookie policy.