Orchard Street

Orchard Street is to be found at the side of the Cuckoo Bush Inn built in 1858. Former names for Orchard Street were Cuckoo Bush Lane, Talbots Lane, etc depending on who lived at the top of the lane at that time. It runs alongside the north wall of the cemetery. At the end of the Lane there were four cottages around a courtyard. A large orchard is to the rear of three of the cottages, after which the street receives its name.

In the 1891 census the publican at the Cuckoo Bush was Joseph Talbot, a 71 year old farmer and widower. Orchard Street was known then as Talbot’s Yard. When he died the inn was let to his son Thomas, who was paying £20 a year in rent to the Earl Howe estate in 1918. Frederick Yeomans lived in one of the cottages, a retired brick-maker, according to 1891 census. Frederick had only one arm caused by an accident down a gypsum mine, however it did not prevent him from playing the church organ on occasions.

When there was a water shortage Mrs Yeomans sold water from the well in her garden at 1d [0.42p] a bucket, filtering the water in a cream glazed pot. The Yeomans provided a laundry service for the church by washing the surplices.

Each of the cottages had a pigsty and rubbish tip. One property additionally had a stable. They were tenants of the Gotham Estate of Earl Howe. At the sale in 1918 their yearly rent was £7 17s [£7.85].