The History of Kingsway Parade

Over time, this will become part of a series of articles on streetblocks of old Hadleigh shops trying to show their changing use over the years. The Archive has completed the basic research, but we would be most pleased if readers such as yourselves are able to add any comments or, in particular, photographs to illustrate the characters of the shops and those local families that ran them. (Any digital photographs can be e-mailed to admin@hadleighhistory.org.uk . If you would like us to scan your photos for you, please contact us at the same e-mail address).

This group of shops was built sometime in the late 1920s between the Church and the Crown Inn and incorporated 11 units, originally known as 1 to 11 Kingsway Parade and later as 196 to 216 London Road. It is said that the parade was built by the same builder as the Kingsway Cinema, ie Stanton Rolls.

A postcard of the 1950s shows the parade as seen from the top of the Kingsway cinema.

The Archive has no useful old picture for number 10 (in 2019, Forbes opticians, number 198.) It has been identified as previously split into Thanes greengrocers and Hills shoe shop (which is thought to have closed in 1960). Later this became Green’s opticians.

Over time, the Archive hope to provide links in this page to articles on all the individual shops within Kingsway Parade.

An article can be found for number 1 Kingway Parade (currently Munch in 2019) at 1 Kingsway Parade.

An article can be found for number 3 Kingsway Parade (once Croisette’s) at 3 Kingsway Parade.

An article can be found for number 8 Kingsway Parade (currently Ladbrookes in 2019 at 202 London Road) at Thompson’s Kingsway Parade.

Please add your comments about your memories of this street block.