The Green
I have made comment on the people who owned or leased land on the right-hand side of the Green, from the Railway Bridge to “The Romans”. The first part was a cherry orchard, known to us kids as Hammonds. Next was a house – The Grange ( the last tenants were Mr. & Mrs. Walker, May 1937 ), then came South Lodge which was built sideways on to the Green with gates and pillared entrance. This was all on what was Southall Green Farm, and on lease from the Earl of Jersey. The rates on the whole of the farm in 1821 was £4. 0s. 9d. ( £4.04 ) per year.
In 1912 Western Iron Foundary ( late Le Grand Sutcliffe & Gell ) purchased a portion, and a road put into the works leaving a frontage, the most valuable part, still available for development.
This has gradually happened. The Grange pulled down and Phoenix House, a seven storey office block, built in 1959-60 with a 90 yard frontage, housing several Government departments, and later Southbridge Way, with Kings House on the right, and a small trading estate.
South Lodge was a very nice house with grounds, and it was here that the newly-formed Southall section of the St John Ambulance were on duty for the first time at a garden fete.
Mr. R.W. Baxter of South Lodge also provided a barn for his farm workers and this was to be used for entertainment on temperance lines. In June 1889 this was destroyed by fire. He built a hall to replace this and thus began the Barn Mission.
Mr. Baxter was chairman of Southall Norwood Urban District Council in 1903-4. He was a very shrewd business man. The first bit of development on his estate was when the “Southall Electric Cinema” ‘The Gem’ was built and opened in December 1910, with Mr. Murch as manager – this was rebuilt in 1932. A road was made down the side and a small trading estate established. Some of the companies which have been there are:- Goldway Brothers., Wholesale Grocers: Medical Chemists: Voltas, Cleaning Fluids: Dillarways ( Welders ) Southall By-Products. All electricity for these was controlled from a small generator which is still standing at the entrance to the road.
When Mr. Baxter died in 1966, the site was purchased by the Catholics and, in 1967-68, the new St Anselms Church was built by Newton & Partners, at the approximated sum of £130,000, which included the Rectory. It was officially opened on 20th April 1968 by Cardinal Heenan.