History of 112–114 London Road
Nos. 112 and 114 London Road were built as a pair of semi-detached houses in about 1908: their pointed gables can be seen behind the tree in the above detail from a postcard f c.1910. The building to the left of the detail is the Co-op (now Buckell & Ballard) on the other side of the London Road. There are a pair of semi-detached houses next-door to the west (now replaced by the Londis block), and another pair of large semi-detached houses to the east (demolished along with their detached neighbour on the Kennett Road corner to make way for the Iceland block).
These houses are the only older buildings that have survived on the south side of the London Road between Windmill Road and Kennett Road. The photograph below (taken in July 2007) shows how their front gardens, which used to slope down to the pavement, have been turned into steps.
These houses were originally numbered 38 and 40, but the whole of London Road was renumbered in the early 1930s and they are now Nos. 112 and 114. They were both private houses until 1956.
Brief history of this pair of shops
| 112 London Road (formerly "Foxbury", numbered 38 to 1930s) | |
| Dates | Private and commercial occupants of right-hand house |
| 1909–1929 | George Church |
| 1930–1935 | James Wilkin Berry |
| 1936–1949 | Mrs Miller |
| 1952–1954 | George James Lovett |
| 1956–1967 | 1956: 56/05292/A_H: Planning application by J.W.A Hainge for change of use of ground floor to shop approved Leech & Hainge, Electrical, radio & telephone dealers |
| 1968–1993+ | Rumbelow’s Ltd, Television |
| By 2001–present | Trade Exchange pawn shop |
| 114 London Road (formerly 40 London Road) | |
| Dates | Private and commercial occupants of the left-hand house |
| 1909–1914 | Mrs Payne-Smith |
| 1915–1916 | Miss L.E. Mobbs |
| 1918–1921 | Miss F.E. Wood |
| 1922–1949 | Frederick Palmer Brown (Mrs Brown in 1949) |
| 1952 | Mrs Venables |
| 1954–1958 | Kenneth Overbury |
| 1960–1964 | 1960: 60/09190/AA_H: Planning application for change of use of ground floor to shop approved No listings in Kelly’s Directory |
| 1966–1968 | Top Rank Home & Leisure Services Ltd, Radio & telephone engineers |
| 1969–1980+ | Rediffusion Television rentals |
| By 1990s–present | Charity Shop |