Downham Market Photo Gallery 3

Modern housing developments within the Town

Since the late 1960's the Town has seen tremendous growth, with many new developments continually enlarging the original Town and bringing an increasing number of new residents to the area.

However rather than all consisting of solid blocks of housing, many open areas have been left as breathing spaces for the community to enjoy and these are dotted around within these estates. 

Building continues to the present day with further expansion expected in time to extend to the lines of the by-passes according to the local structure plan.

Recent developments.

The old site of the King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council offices in Priory Road was vacated following their move to their new offices in The Priory Centre along the western edge of the original site. 

This photograph shows the old Borough Council offices which were demolished and is now the site of the new Tesco supermarket building.

That site itself is thought to have been that of the original Benedictine buildings, succeeded at a much later date by the Rectory , which appears from photographs to be no earlier than the eighteenth century in origin. 

 Demolition of the old Borough Council buildings took place in September 2000.

Adjacent to the site at the top of Priory Road, is Priory House, which is listed by the Department of the Environment as seventeenth century and is almost certainly the oldest residential property within Downham Market. 

However, despite the name, it is by no means certain that there is a connection with any religious order and the rumours of secret underground passageways from the cellars have not been substantiated by the present owners. 

This building was until a few years ago the offices of solicitors Metcalfe, Copeman & Pettefar.

London Road area photographs.

Opposite the Town Sign, stands the War Memorial which acts as a permanent memorial to those who paid the ultimate price during both World Wars.

It lists the names of 73 of those who fell during the 1914-1918 war, and a further 24 who fell during the 1939-1945 war. 

A Remembrance Day Parade is held here each November.

Moving southwards from the memorial and on the other side of London Road can be seen Court Gardens, and to the left Union Terrace, constructed mainly of carrstone and beyond that can be seen the rear of the old National School which has its main entrance in Howdale Road. 

Union Terrace used to house the office of the local Registrar of Births Marriages and Deaths until fairly recently, when the Registrar's facilities moved into the new offices at the Town Council premises in Paradise Road.

Continuing along London Road is the Court House , which was built in 1849, but no longer in use as such. It used to house the Clackclose Division Magistrates Court every Thursday and the County Court Judge would sit there every two months.

Efforts are being made to preserve this building and prevent the loss of another example of mid nineteenth century architecture.

Further along London Road, opposite the old

Jim Russell's garage site, is the modern Norfolk Constabulary Police station.

Townsfolk and visitors alike can now discover more about Downham Market past and present whilst making their way around the Town.

During March 2002 a set of eight interpretation and information boards were put up at key sites in the Town.

These boards have been produced with funding from the Countryside agency West Norfolk Borough Council and Downham Market Town Council. 

The idea is to tell the readers something of the background and history of the areas in which they are sited, together with some general notes about the Town.

Members of the Town Council worked hard to gather information on the areas and with great support from local collector of postcards Mike Bullen and the Borough Council graphics department the project was brought to fruition in less than two months.

The Town Council is delighted that the boards have been placed to help both locals and visitors find out more about Downham Market's historic past.

When they were officially unveiled the Mayor, Cllr Mike Coles, thanked Downham Market Town Council member Cllr David Murray and the sub-committee which produced the copy for the boards, Miss Ruth Hyde, head of Tourism and the Arts at the West Norfolk Borough Council, and Borough Councilor Jack Bantoft , portfolio holder for West Norfolk Regeneration for their tremendous support.

You can find the boards at the following locations :

 

The Howdale, situated at the western end of the Howdale near to Howdale Road itself.

 

Close to Court Gardens at the junction of Howdale Road and London Road

 

       

Priory Gardens at the top of Priory Road

 

The Green, Railway Road.

 

The Hollies Car Park, Bridge Street end.

 

Paradise Road, in the car park opposite the Town Council offices.

 

Cannon Square, at the junction of Lynn Road and Bexwell Road by the traffic lights.

 

       

The Memorial Playing Field, near the Lynn Road footpath entrance, (not the car park entrance).

 

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