East Street

Formerly Jacket Close Street, East Street was built sometime after 1857 off Meadow End. It followed the sale of the Redfern brothers’ land to John Hart, a framework knitter. Then, East Street was just 61 yards long [56m] and divided into ten plots, five on either side.

The first house to be built on East Street was in 1871. In 1900, East Street was extended a further 70 yards [64m], to join Wallace Street which was by then substantially built up.

During the First World War there was a butchers, a fish and chip, and sweet shops, besides a glove factory [now private dwellings] along East Street.

Why was it called East Street? As far as is known no one named East was involved, so one must speculate that it comes from the compass direction of the street although its direction is nearer to north-east than east.