Derek Beattie - How the Other Half Lived: Ludlows Working Classes 1850-1960

DREWS COURT

This is Drews Court just before WWI. It was entered by the side of 119, Corve Street that in 1881 was the home of Mary Drew, a dressmaker. This is typical of the many yards and courts built behind the respectable facades of Ludlows main thoroughfares. The poor, original quality of the buildings can be discerned in the crumbling and twisted nature of the brickwork and the ill-fitting windows. Though they had no garden space residents made do with what they had and two homemade pigeon coops can be seen attached to the wall opposite their doors. These properties now lie underneath Tesco.

(Courtesy of Lottie James)

The result of this type of building can perhaps be better understood by looking at individual streets. On the east side of Corve Street could be found four courts of cottages. These would be entered by narrow alleyways and the houses may have faced a small open space in which could be found a communal privy or privies and a wash-house. Alternatively, such outbuildings could have been erected at the end of a row of properties. Later, an outside communal water tap would have been added. Travelling down Corve Street the first court was met just before the Nags Head public house. This was officially known as Number 1 Court but known locally as Hammonds Court after Herbert Hammond, a grocer who lived at No. 132. As will be seen, in most official records such as the ten-yearly census, these courts were often just recognised numerically. However, local people tended to name them after the builder or main landlord or even a tenant, sometimes notorious in reputation, who happened to live there. Because of this, the names of some yards or courts changed over time as the properties changed hands or as a new generation came into being.

KINGS ARMS YARD

This is the Kings Arms Yard in 1916. Situated behind the Kings Arms public house on the Bull Ring (now the Edinburgh Woollen Mill) it was entered by alleyways off both the Bull Ring and Tower Street. John Fury, who had a barbershop on Tower Street, was an ex-South African War veteran who is almost certainly dressed up as part of a money-raising event for soldiers at the front. He lived in the property on the left.

(Courtesy of Shropshire Museum Service)

Next in Corve Street came No. 2 Court known as the Nags Head Yard, followed by No. 3 Court or Drews Yard named after Mary Drew, a dressmaker who lived at its entrance. Finally came No. 4 Court or the Green Dragon Yard. This last yard was, in fact, one of the earliest to be built with three cottages being constructed, probably in 1772, by the innkeeper. had passed, had a number of different landlords some of whom did not even live locally. In times to come this would make enforcement of improvements by the authorities more difficult to achieve. On the West side of Lower Corve Street four more courts could be found. No. 7 Court was built by the Trustees of the Independent Chapel that was already there. Unsurprisingly, this soon became known as the Old Chapel Yard. Of the other three courts Nos. 5, 6 and 8 they appear to have been known locally at one time or another as Preeces Court, Breakwells Yard and Pearces Court.