Village Street Map 1945

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I have drawn maps of Barrow for several different periods of the 1900s to correspond with the considerable growth of the village in the 20th century. However, to use an ‘in phrase’, the 20th was a century of two halves. During most of the first half, the map was practically unchanged . Certainly, new houses were built (including the council houses on Grove Lane, Sileby Rd. and River View) but with the exception of River View, no other new streets or roads had been made since Warner St. and New St. were built in the early 1900s.
In the second half of the 20th century. there was, of course, a seemingly unending expansion of the village - starting with the Brook Lane development just after World war II finished in 1945. The year 1945 represented an important turning point in the development of Barrow. Also, at that time, there were probably more shops and businesses etc. than at any other time in our history.

I offer this 1945 map to place on record where all the commercial and service establishments were located at this important time. Apart from some ‘fine tuning’ assistance from Mrs. E Pagett, the map was drawn mainly from memory. Thus, I hope that any errors or omissions will be excused.

From time to time, reminiscences about the village appear in the BV and any further elaboration here would be superfluous. However, I must add that the number of shops is amazing - especially when one considers that WWII had just ended . Strict rationing of most food, clothes and fuel had been in force for nearly six years and yet, the village managed to support four bakeries, four family butchers, a pork butcher and ten grocery or general provisions shops. Although the sweet ration was only ¾lb. per month, there were three confectioners despite the fact that the grocers also sold sweets.
There were three coal merchants in the village and also, Tom Draper of Sileby delivered coal here. Even in those days when the population was less than half that at present and very few people had a cheque book, there were two Banks in High St. albeit they opened only two mornings per week. Other financial institutions were the Co-Op who operated a Penny Bank and the Barrow Building Society. The Society had an office in Granby St., Loughborough but were open for business on one Monday evening per month in the School Room of the Wesleyan Chapel.

With so many facilities available and prices strictly controlled, one wonders why visits to Loughborough were so popular. Perhaps it was the cheap fare,- 4d. for adults on Howletts, Trent or Midland Red buses or the attraction of the three Cinemas and the Theatre Royal. But then, in the 1940s, we had our own Dance Hall, Film Shows and our own Repertory Company, ‘The Jesters’ but that is for another time!

Kevon Thompson