Lichfield Road Cambridge

Lichfield Road, Cambridge

History of Lichfield Road

This photo was taken in 1946 and shows rows of pre-fabricated bungalows with Cherry Hinton Road in the foreground.

In 2016 Pamela Knights recalled how comfortable the bungalows were compared to some of the older houses:

She recalled other pre-fabricated accommodation in Cambridge for newly married couples:

 

1945 06 21
25 Germen Prisoners of War at work on Lichfield Rd housing site; the 100 temporary houses will be pre-fabricated ‘Unisec’ type – photo – 45 06 21
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Cherryhinton Road Area Scrapbook 1897–1990.

1946 10 18
Lichfield Road estate pre-fabs from air – photo – 46 10 18a
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Cherryhinton Road Area Scrapbook 1897–1990.

1950 07 22
A successful fete and sports organised by the social committee of the Cherryhinton Road pre-fabs tenants association was held on Lichfield Road recreation ground, Cambridge. Attractions included a miniature railway, Punch & Judy show, treasure hunt, bran tub & a mother and father’s race. Highlight of the proceedings was a tug-of-war between the “Lichfield peacocks” and the “Golding Canaries”.
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Cherryhinton Road Area Scrapbook 1897–1990.

1964 04 16
Lichfield road prefabricated bungalow fire – 64 04 16a
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Cherryhinton Road Area Scrapbook 1897–1990.

1983 04 29
A much-heralded district heating scheme which was installed in 234 council houses and flats at Lichfield Road and Neville Road is being scrapped after only 10 years. The pipes which are buried deep underground leak. There were claims it would be much cheaper but tenants said their homes were unnecessarily hot, giving 70 degrees in living rooms and 65 in bedrooms when temperatures outside were freezing. It will be replaced by individual central heating units in each property. 83 04 29 p9
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Cherryhinton Road Area Scrapbook 1897–1990.

1990 01 25
Today’s squatters are usually the young and single who do not qualify to go on council housing waiting lists. But after the war couples with children occupied empty houses in Jesus Lane and Parkside that had been requisitioned by the army. Then one family moved into Nissen huts in the grounds of a house in Hills Road and another into a four-storey property in Portugal Place. From then on more huts or houses were occupied daily. Then pre-fabricated steel houses were erected in Lichfield Road and Trumpington. They were meant to be temporary but some were lived in until the 1970s – 90 01 25c
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Cherryhinton Road Area Scrapbook 1897–1990.