Have you ever wondered about the origins of street names in Burton? In more recent years, prominent councillors and people in the town have seen streets named after them.
Examples include Clough Drive in reference to Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough, Callister Way named after former Mayor George Callister and Beresford Close named after influential councillor Peter Beresford.
There are of course reasons behind most of the street names in the area and their meanings and origins warrants a deeper look back in history.
As with most places, the area has its usual Main Street, High Street and Bridge Street while it also has the obligatory naming of trees with Ash Street, Oak Street, Birch Street, Hawthorn Crescent, Sycamore Road, Cherry Tree Road and so on.
While Stretton and Horninglow went down the literary route with Tennyson Road, Shakespeare Road, Bronte Close, Wordsworth Close, Dickens Close, Ruskin Plance and Shelley Avenue to name but a few.
But stepping back in history provides us with a much greater understanding of names and helps to explain their meanings and location.
For example, Fleet Street has nothing to do with the famous street of the same name in London, it refers to a portion of the River Trent known as “the fleet” which is an area where there is a channel where the water “fleets”.
There is also the link to the Fleet Stones which enabled pedestrians to cross a stream at Green Street before the Ferry Bridge was built.
The area known as Bond End and the streets Bond End Wharf and Bond Street are a contraction of the words “boundary end” referring to the boundary of Burton Abbey.
Likewise, Blackpool Street has nothing to do with the popular seaside town, instead it refers to a black pool which formed beside the river.
Looking back
Casey Lane is a corruption of the words Causeway Lane which is used in reference to the Roman road which ran through the marshes while Dallow Street marks the site of an old gallows.
We do, of course, have plenty of street names which were named in honour of families. Wyggeston Street, Dover Road and Calais Road commemorate property once owned in Burton by William Wyggeston who was a Leicester wool merchant with links to both the ports of Dover and Calais in the 15th Century.
Similarly in South Derbyshire there is the connection to the Granville family with Court Street, John Street, Bernard Street and Frederick Street all being family names.
Guild Street in Burton was formerly Guildables Lane which along with Anglesey Road and Uxbridge Street commemorated titles borne by the Paget family – lords of the manor of Burton.
Other well-known local families commemorated in the area include Peel, Hawkins and Mosley. While many new streets are named, Burton has also lost some street names with significant meanings.
Dame Paulet’s almshouses were situated in the Swine Market and to commemorate them is Dame Paulet Square within Coopers Square Shopping Centre.
Pinfold Lane has disappeared but referred to where straying cattle were impounded and Monkey Byard was a corruption of the words Monks Byeway which referred to a track across the moors to Sinai.
Union Street was formerly Scuth Lane which was a reminder of the days when flax was cultivated here.
Those were the days....
Other names require a little further imagination and understanding. The City at Woodville got its name because "city" was a slang term used for Stone Field Terrace – a name which originated in a quarry where the stone was obtained to build St Stephen’s Church.
While Centrum 100 in Burton was used to describe the development of 100 acres of land situated in the centre of England.
There are plenty of others, but worthy of mention in the area are George Newberry Place named after the 1952 Helsinki Olympic bronze medal cyclist; Barker Round Way named after Burton Albion players Richie Joseph Barker and Stan Round who played for the Brewers in the 1960s; and Adams Way named after the councillor Derek Adams.
As for brewery links, try Tiger Court, Evershed Way, Bass Arms Mews, Victoria Crescent or Marston Rise.
