Our Patch June 2014 | Page 16

Our Patch JUNE 2014 Our Patch JUNE 2014 looking back ASKEW ROAD A S H E P H ERDS BUS H skew Road lay within the northern part of the old manor of Fulham, and was originally a lane linking the two main thoroughfares in the area, now Uxbridge Road and Goldhawk Road. The name probably derives from the Askew family, who were from Ashchurch in Gloucestershire and lived in the Hammersmith area in the 18th century. The place names Public transport played a major part in the development of Askew Road from the late 19th century 16 / 17 ‘Storke Tenement’ and ‘Storke Grene’ are found in documents from the late 14th century onwards, and were later corrupted to Starch Green. The earliest map showing Askew Road is John Rocque’s (1745), on which it is named Gaggle Goose Green, and lies in the middle of countryside; the northern part of the road corresponds to present-day Becklow Road. The whole area around Askew Road remained rural until the mid 19th century, with fields interspersed among brickfields and market gardens. The development of Askew Road can be traced through maps. A map of 1830 describes the road as Starch Green, and a few cottages are marked along its length. Some large ponds are shown in the area, which would have been the former excavations dug out for brickfields and subsequently filled with water. Improvements to public transport played a major part in the development of the Askew Road area from the late 19th century onwards. New train and tram routes made Shepherds Bush attractive to clerks and other workers who needed to get to the City every day, and led to a demand for affordable housing. By the turn of the 20th century a water trough and a drinking fountain had been installed by the S хɍ