At the end of the First World War there was a surplus of army huts which had been used to accommodate the rapidly expanding services during the conflict. In order to meet the post-war demand for suitable housing many of these huts were bought and converted into dwellings. One such scheme was carried out by the Ipswich & Suffolk Freehold Land Society (FLS) on a site in Bramford on Bramford Lane.
The site was a parcel of farmland – shown here in red on an 1880 map:
Initially five hutments, with accompanying land of either 2 or 2½ acres, were completed:
(Image: Suffolk Building Society)
An earlier report mentioning the development was published in the East Anglian Daily Times in May 1920:
(Image: Suffolk Building Society)
This was followed by a more detailed report on the 10th June 1920.
(Image: Suffolk Building Society)
The first five (marked in red) can be seen on this map of 1924 along with another six on smaller sites. Just below can be seen the early development of Henniker Road – another FLS housing scheme.
Interestingly the early establishment of what would become High View Road can be seen through the middle of the site.
A location plan from a conveyance shows the position of all the houses balloted in 1920
(NB North is to the bottom of the plan)
(Image: Suffolk Building Society)
By 1938 the development of Highview Road and Pearl Road was underway.
The hutments survived up to the 1960’s as shown in this 1965 Ordnance Survey map
But by then Ipswich had expanded its boundary to the west following the development of the Whitehouse Estate. The hutments were eventually replaced by modern houses, but the area remained part of St Mary’s church parish for some years afterwards.
Acknowledgement
Information and images used in this article have been reproduced, with kind permission, from a leaflet by the Suffolk Building Society – “Freehold Land Society Developments after Armistice Day”
The Great War Huts Hawstead Suffolk
If you would like to see some surviving examples of huts and learn more about the Great War we recommend a visit at the Great War Huts Hawstead Suffolk
