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In The Village

Water Lane

Credit: Garry Allam, Bishop's Sutton Heritage; curated by Mark Allen

The Ford, Water lane c1915

Looking towards the Plough, The Roof of the building on the left is of the colonial bungalow the site now occupied by Bell House

Water Lane, Bishop's Sutton

Water Lane Maps 1881, 1975

The meaning of Water Lane is obvious.
Water Lane was probably one of the alternative stetches that formed part of the Ropley-Bishop's Sutton-Alresford Route prior to the turnpike 1752. This was often the case as it would depend which stretch was more passible at any particular time especially as the end that comes out on Northside Lane was on higher and dryer ground than the present main road stretch.

Though I suspect the ford is a well-established one, a map of 1759 shows both Waterlane and the main road as the same standard of road.

The house known as both Fleur de Lys, Water Lane and 19 Hobbs close was built in 1973 in the area of the former Darville Terrace.

Water Lane, Bishop's Sutton

old-maps.co.uk

Darvills Terrace from Water Lane Ford, c1920's

This row of four tenements seems to have been erected around 1880 and seems to have taken the place of an original row of three tenements. In 1847 one of the original 3 dwellings was occupied by John Gibbs and family. The surrounding field was called Hobbs close.

Why it is called Darvills is not clear - it may have been the builder or former owner or occupier’s name. They were sometimes in the 1920’s called Water lane Terrace andthe row was demolished in the early 1960’s.

Darvills Terrace, Water Lane, Bishop's Sutton

Darvills Terrace area today


Today, the modern houses on the same site are called Riverhead

Water Lane, Bishop's Sutton

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