101 Newmarket Road & Walnut Tree Avenue from Newmarket Road 1929 (photo J S Moore)(Cambridgeshire Collection)

Walnut Tree Avenue, Cambridge

History of Walnut Tree Avenue

Mike Petty (Facebook) writes:

This is a view of Walnut Tree Ave from Newmarket Road, 1929 by J.S. Moore

Walnut Tree Avenue was demolished to make the approach to Elizabeth Bridge.

The Brunswick School in Walnut Tree Avenue was the first Council School when it opened in 1905. But by 1922 the building was found to be subsiding: The Borough surveyor drew attention to the giving way of the building, and they first of all had to pull down the Boys’ School because it was dragging the other part down, and eventually they pulled down the Girls’ School. The girls were in temporary premises at Paradise Street School and the boys in Fitzroy Street. They had to bear in mind that a new bridge was going to be built at Walnut Tree Avenue some time – (laughter) – and when that was done they would have to accommodate some children from old Chesterton. [CDN 5th June 1925]

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Cambridge Independent Press 4.1.1907:

THE STATE OF WALNUT TREE AVENUE. [To the Editor the Independent SIR,—There has been good deal of discussion of late years to the whereabouts of the I original of Banyan’s Slough of Despond.” A recent commentation contends it is near Bedford, but I opine that it is in Cambridge, and open for inspection any day of the week at the foot of Walnut Tree-avenue (sic). Bunyan declares that in his day twenty thousand cartloads of wholesome instruction had been thrown into the slough without effect. When Nathaniel Hawthorne passed the quagmire, they were trying to fill it up with ” volumes of French Philosophy, German rationalism, tracts, sermons, and essays of modern clergymen.” Even these slabs of wisdom failed convert the bog into firm ground, so the Cambridge Corporation has decided to try what cartloads of slushy mud and melting snow will do to mend it. I am living in hope that some of the multitude of cows that are brought down here to drink may get bogged in the quagmire. I think they may; perhaps that might end it. One seriously wonders why this historic spot does not receive more attention from the powers that be.” It is a sight fitted to cure sore eyes at present: it is also a spot fitted to spread disease round the whole neighbourhood all during the winter. Can nothing be done end it or mend it.—Yours, &c., BOGLANDER. Walnut Tree-avenue. Cambridge, 2nd January, 1907.

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4 March 1963
Houses in Walnut Tree Avenue have been bought by the Ministry of Transport for demolition when the dual-carriageway for the proposed Chesterton bridge route is constructed. One side of Cam Road will also have to be demolished. It is expected that negotiations for the 30 properties involved will take a year to complete. The first part of the scheme will link Newmarket Road with Chesterton and Milton Roads. Later the existing roads of Lensfield Road, Gonville Place and East Road will feed into a roundabout at the junction of Sun Street and Newmarket Road

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 63 03 04b.

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6 March 1964
Residents of Walnut Tree Avenue, which is poised on the brink of destruction for the new Chesterton, are resigned to its fate. A large proportion are retired people who have invested much in their homes. Apart from those who are widowed or retired, most work all day and have taken great care of their properties. Only a few look unkempt and these are the ones bought by the Ministry of Transport from people who are leaving anyway.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 64 03 06c.