From Jane Lilly's collection

Known as St Edith's Orphanage for many years, this was built as Hallam Hall in Dial Hill Road. Hallam Hall belonged to the Rev Jabez Horne, who had it built in 1874 as a private boarding school for boys. This print shows the Royal Hotel in Hill Road in the foreground, built in Hill Road in 1825 by William Hollyman and George Newton and since demolished. Beyond it and a little to the right is the York Hotel in marine Hill, dating from 1834 and now a convent The cars made by Richard Stephens from 1897 onwards. They were remarkable for their day, capable of 50mph, and several were used as small omnibuses and taxis in the Clevedon and Portishead area. Christ Church was built in Highdale Road in 1838 and consecrated in 1839. By this time there were enough people living on the Hill to merit a second church, as the Old Church, St Andrew's, was quite remote from the village and this area.

This is a view from Clevedon's Great Western Railway station platform in about 1950. The goods shed can be seen beyond the engine. The line opened between Clevedon and Yatton in 1847, and was a victim some 120 years later of Dr Beeching. This is Clevedon Bowling Club at the junction of Chapel Hill and Prince's Road in about 1910. Here, World Champion bowler David Bryant learned his stuff, and can still be seen there. This is one of the engines from Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway, 'Harold'. This line was the subject of many myths and legends. It opened between Clevedon and Weston-Super-Mare in 1897, and was extended to Portishead in 1907. The Cliffe Hotel was built as a private house in Wellington Terrace, and became a Hotel later in its life. Like several of the fine, Regency houses at the south end of the terrace, blocks of apartments have replaced it.

The row of seats to the right is now gone, and the garden behind has been opened up. This is the Green Beach, just above Little Harp Bay. The carriages are waiting for hire, usually to take people on a tour around the genteel parts of the town, or to return them to the GWR station in the Triangle. Many of the houses on the Beach were still boarding houses at this time, around 1900. This is the Triangle before the 1920s, when the cottage beyond the clock tower was demolished. The cottage had been part of a farm. The clock tower stands more or less on the site of the Chipping Cross, where markets were held, the Clevedon's stocks were at the southern part of the triangle near WH Smith's. Here in Hangstone Quarry are the workmen of Clevedon Town Council before the last war. The quarry, in Old Church Road, was common quarry for many years, and any Clevedonian could use the stone to build himself a house - but the house could not be sold.

The man to the left here is George Bees, a fine old Clevedonian who served on a great many committees and on the Town Council. He was responsible for getting the Jubilee Cottages, built in 1887, decorated for the Silver Jubilee of 1977. They stood in Old Street next to the Cottage Hospital, and their foundation stone is built into the wall there. In Station Road quite a crowd gathered to see the foundation stone of the Men's Meeting Room laid early in the 1900s. It now forms part of the Baptist Chapel. All Saints' Church, off the Walton Road in All Saints' Lane, was built in 1860. The school just to the right in the foreground began as a Sunday school, but the area quickly grew to need a day school of its own. One of the oldest houses in Clevedon now forms 136-138 Old Street. It was built c1500 as a hall house and extended in the 1600s when chimney was added. The fire was previously in the middle of the floor, and smoke has stained the ancient roof timbers black.

This building was converted from the smithy in Old Street into a workshop for five Cabinet Makers. The smithy dated back to the 1600s. The Dispensary at the Health Centre stands on the site. 23 Old Street is where William Thackeray waited in the 1850s to join a funeral procession coming from Clevedon Court to the Old Church at West End. This site has the original shop front, one of the oldest in the town. Here is Mr Stephens himself, driving his first car in 1897. His son, sitting facing the front seat, inherited the car and sold it later to a collector in Sussex, who still has it at Leonardslee Gardens. Hollyman family built 1 Old Street in the late 1840s as a butcher shop - it is in the early 2000s that it has changed business and become the Bodega. This photo shows the Christmas display when butcher Gould was at the shop.

At 3 Old street Mr Lovell had his boot and shoe shop, one of many in the town in the 1920s. The shop is now a brightly coloured tattoo parlour, with a large, plate glass window 16 Old Street, decorated, with thousands of hand made paper roses to raise money for the cottage hospital during the carnival in the 1930s. This is Lewesfell being taken down. It was in Elton Road, on the site of Pembroke Court Flats, and was for many years a large, private boarding school for boys. Clevedon had many boarding schools in the 1800s, when it was thought of a genteel, healthy place for the children of people working abroad in the tropics for the good of the British Empire. Built in Alexandra Road by Hans Price in 1879, this was the home of the Clevedon mercury newspaper until larger premises were built at Sixways in 1894.

At 3 Old Church Road, Mr Edwards had his flourishing business in the age of the horse, selling corn feed. The Britannia stood at the junction of Moor lane and Kenn Road, demolished when Great Western Road was built in order to make wider access. The Dairy School was held as part of the 1894 agricultural show, which in that year was based at Clevedon. The building used is the roller skating rink in Linden Road, now gone, but at the time of its building in the late 1860s it was the largest rink outside London. Here is Bristol House, built at East Clevedon Triangle in the 1820s in this commanding position. It was for many years a grocery store.

The Old Inn in Walton Road has changed very little. First licensed in 1758 it was the oldest pub in the town, used for the rent day feasts by Clevedon Court estate. The bay window has gone and the inside has been altered, but outwardly it looks very much the same This is three cottages made into one house. Hence its name Trinity Cottage. It was the Poor Houses after it was converted by one of the Eltons of Clevedon Court from a house called Jennings's Freehold in the 1700s, it stands on Old Church Road near the beginning of Southern Way. Whiteladies Cottage in Old Church Road at West End was once known as Burryatt's farm. It dates back to the at least 1600, and is believed to be medieval hall house in origin Here is All Saints' Church, East Clevedon. The farm to the right was Carey's farm, and before the church was built the lane here was called Carey's lane instead of All Saints' Lane. The steep hill behind is part of Court Hill, was named 'Sir Abraham's Heights', after Sir Abraham Elton, the Lord of the Manor.

This is Crease's Farm, or Elton Farm, which stood on the site of the present Library in Old Church road. A school was built on the site in 1889, and it was converted to a library in the late 1990s. The farm itself dated back to the late 1500s. Here is a view from the east end of Hill Road, showing Challicom's to the left with the milkman outside. Behind the lamp post can be seen the old frontage of a 1860s shop, recently restored to its original form. This is Tutton Farm, which stood to the north of Yeo Moor School East Off Kenn Road. In 1894, when this photo was taken, Charles Wallis was farming here. There were remnants in the house of a medieval building, part of a doorway and fireplace, now at the Craft Centre in Moor Lane, perhaps one day to be re-erected. Frank Knight waits patiently with his sack truck as the engine of the Light Railway crosses the Triangle.

Here is Clevedon's oldest shop front, dating back to about 1835. In the early years of this century, it became a wine shop, the first time it had not been a chemists shop. The frontage and fittings are all original, and have been carefully preserved. In Corpse Road in about 1905, the Royal Oak was flourishing. In the distance, the milk cart is on its way towards the photographer, and scaffolding still surrounds the house nearest the camera. At 1 Chapel Hill, Robbie Robertson had his electrical shop. In fact the first electrical shop, opened by the Blackmore family, was established before mains electricity came to the town, when some large, private houses had their own generators. This unusual, probably unique structure, designed by Hans Price of Weston-Super-Mare, is the Market Hall of 1869. The side are now glazed and enclosed, but at the time it was built, the air could make its way right through the building, keeping the goods of the stall holders delightfully cool and fresh.

At 1 Alexandra Road, the finest foodstuffs could be obtained, as you could see. This is Pacific House, run by Charles Caple. At the other end of the road here, his brother George started the Clevedon Mercury when he was 17. This is the Great Western Railway station from the mileage yard, with the Conservative Club in Kenn Road to the right in the background. The photo dates from 1950s.





Images of Clevedon

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