Burley Village

itsmehere · Post by **itsmehere** » Wed 13 Jun, 2007 2:14 am

Does anyone remember Burley Village before it was "criminally completely covered over?

stevief · Post by **stevief** » Thu 14 Jun, 2007 10:42 pm

itsmehere wrote: Does anyone remember Burley Village before it was "criminally completely covered over? Up to being 8 years old,(1963)our family home was in St. Anns Mount which looks over Burley village.The piles of rubble at the bottom of the street were a popular playground(no'ealth and safety in those days!)we weren't aware it was the remains of the village.There are some excellant pictures on the Leodis site.

rikj · Post by **rikj** » Sat 16 Jun, 2007 10:43 pm

Did a beck used to run through the village? Looking at the lie of the land it looks like there should have been one. Also. you can hear water rushing under the manholes!!I know that local kids still call the area by the shop "The Beck".

itsmehere · Post by **itsmehere** » Wed 20 Jun, 2007 2:56 am

I can remember about 1958-59 on my way home from "Burley National" (Burley St Mathias) School. Walking through some of the streets of Burley Village. I recall especially a Barbers Shop. How come the council was allowed to cover over this village and as a result part of our heritage and history? I have a book which relates to Burley and its history if anyone is interested. Also does anyone recall Burley Park and the little Day Nursery there?

itsmehere · Post by **itsmehere** » Wed 20 Jun, 2007 3:01 am

If rickj is interested there is also a tunnel leading from St Pauls House in Park Square. My grandparents were caretakers there in the 1950-60's and althogh I went so far down the tiled underground tunnel, I was always too afraid to venture more than 20 metres or so. I would be nice to know if anyone has any more info on this, or where it actually led to.

stevief · Post by **stevief** » Wed 20 Jun, 2007 9:52 pm

itsmehere wrote: I can remember about 1958-59 on my way home from "Burley National" (Burley St Mathias) School. Walking through some of the streets of Burley Village. I recall especially a Barbers Shop. How come the council was allowed to cover over this village and as a result part of our heritage and history? I have a book which relates to Burley and its history if anyone is interested. Also does anyone recall Burley Park and the little Day Nursery there? Is your book called 'Early Burley' by any chance?I read it years ago but can't find it anywhere now.My understanding of the 'village'is that some of the houses had no running water and the sanitationwas fairly basic.In the late 50's the council would have considered it just another slum to clear.

rowcherumble · Post by **rowcherumble** » Mon 25 Jun, 2007 1:16 am

Having recently moved to Burley and near where the village used to be (Beechwood View- can see it from my window) i find pictures of it quite facinating. It's tragic how they could just demolish the area.

big_rob2004 · Post by **big_rob2004** » Thu 24 Jan, 2008 1:40 pm

I am very interested in learning more about the disapearance of the village. My grandad lived on Amy Street (also gone) and then Beechwood Avenue. He remembers the village and we're both interested in what actually happened to it.He seems to remember that the village was just "covered in" with the houses still standing. This to me seems odd: 1) the houses would have to be in a kind of hole so to speak as the current ground is level with Burley Road, and would have needed steps to gain access to the village and 2) all the strain of the "covering in" would cause stress on the buildings causing them to eventually collapse under the weight.I contacted the Civic Trust and they strangely have no information about what indeed happened.Does anyone on here remember the "regeneration" as it was taking place... were the houses demolished first then the ground leveled out or were they indeed just "covered in" with them still standing.Any info that anyone can provide would help my grandad and myself from scratching our heads.Thanks

Si · Post by Si » Thu 24 Jan, 2008 2:37 pm

If most of the houses had cellars, then "covering-in" may mean that the demolition rubble was pushed into said cellars. Possible?

Bramley4woods · Post by **Bramley4woods** » Thu 24 Jan, 2008 4:08 pm

itsmehere wrote: I can remember about 1958-59 on my way home from "Burley National" (Burley St Mathias) School. Walking through some of the streets of Burley Village. I recall especially a Barbers Shop. How come the council was allowed to cover over this village and as a result part of our heritage and history? I have a book which relates to Burley and its history if anyone is interested. Also does anyone recall Burley Park and the little Day Nursery there? The Barber's shop belonged to my late father in law, "Jock the Barber" . who came down from Glasgow in 1949 and worked in Panther's Ladies and Gents hairdressers on the Headrow. Some time in the mid '50s he moved into a shop of his own in Burley Village. He remained in there until the council demolished it when he moved to an old Doctor's surgery on Cardigan Lane. He always reckoned the new shop was never as good as "That first wee shop in the village".By chance his son worked in the Council and his job was compulsory purchase of properties for demolition for road widening so was familiar with the state of old buildings and valuing them etc.Just recently I discussed with him the state of the houses in Burley Village, (he was familiar with them because of his dad's shop), he said that whilst many sound houses and shops were demolished during the slum clearances, Burley Village was not in that category. they couldn't be made habitable because of their condition.Seeing the state of some of them on the Leodis site I couldn't challenge that.Having said that - a whole village, no buildings repaired, no buildings replaced just eliminated en-mass. My guess is that the geography and the presence of the old cellars would have made it expensive to re-build. Don't forget that in any case the Council were into high rise flats at that time.I'm sure if the same thing was to happen now the land would be sold to a developer and there'd be high density houses and apartments, or "Student Accomodation" (Oops hush my lips lets not give them ideas) on there before you could say "John Prescott".