The Broadway Mill Road, Cambridge

History of The Broadway

1938 – The Broadway, a purpose-built parade of shops with flats above, was completed on the south side of Mill Road, creating one of the largest suburban shopping centres in Cambridge.

9 May 1961 – The entire Broadway shopping parade, extending from Cavendish Road to Sedgwick Street, was offered for sale. Built twenty-three years earlier, it comprised fourteen shops with eight flats above and was described as the largest shopping area in the eastern half of Cambridge. The owners reported annual rental income of £2,848, expected to rise to over £4,000 within three years. (Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 9 May 1961.)

16 May 1961 – The Broadway was sold for £35,000, reflecting its importance as a major commercial investment within the Mill Road district. (Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 16 May 1961.)

16 February 1968 – The Broadway shopping parade and flats changed hands again for approximately double the pricepaid seven years earlier, illustrating the rapid increase in commercial property values along Mill Road during the 1960s. (Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 16 February 1968.)