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Layton Trail 1-3


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1) 22 Kew Bridge Road

Kew bridge Road.22 Kew Bridge Road is the site of Thomas Layton's home and is currently due for redevelopment.

This photo shows a busy Kew Bridge Road around 1892, when Layton was living here. His house is out of sight behind the tree in the left of the photo.


  

2) St George's Church

George’s Chapel was founded in 1762 as an unconsecrated Chapelry. The first church was built around 1766 and consecrated into the Church of England as St George's Church in 1828. Thomas Layton was a church warden here is his youth.

St George's Church prior to 1913.St George's church 2005.In 1886-7 a larger church was built on the site. Layton had left money to the church in his will and in 1913 a new bell tower was constructed.

The church closed its doors to worshippers in 1959 and reopened in 1963 as the Musical Museum. With the Musical Museum moving to purpose-built premises nearby, today its future is likely to be a conversion into apartments.

These photographs show the church prior to the addition of the new tower (left) and as it appeared in 2005 (right).


  

3) Brentford Fire Station, High Street

Brentford fire station in a watercolour by Nowell Parr, 1896.

The fire station on the High Street was begun in 1897 and opened on the 22nd February 1898 with much pomp and celebration where lucky ticket-holders were able to see inside. It was designed by Nowell Parr, surveyor to Brentford Urban District Council and cost around £3000. This architect’s watercolour by Parr in 1896 shows how the station would look after completion.

Firemen with horse-drawn fire engine, c.1890.

A horse-drawn steam pump was acquired by the Urban District Council in 1890 and was housed in the new fire station. In this photo, taken around 1890,you can see the pump and the firemen who worked it. The hand pulled "escape" (extended ladder system) was replaced with a horse drawn system in 1906. Prior to that the fire men had to drag the "escape" to the site of any fire, leaving them often exhausted and unable to rescue anyone. The first motorised engine was delivered in 1924.

Brentford fire station 2005, a restaurant.

The Station house was altered and refitted many times as the fire service experienced reorganisation and change from the 1920s to the 1950s. It was finally closed 1965. It was used by the ambulance service to the 1980s. In 1990 it was "listed" and became a restaurant soon after.

 

 

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