The Building of Shepherds Hill

Carol Brown’s History of Stoughton

Following the First World War Lloyd George promised ‘homes fit for heroes’ and a national building programme of council housing started. Guildford was at the forefront of this development of post war social housing and the Shepherds Hill estate in Stoughton was the second in Great Britain to be completed.

In 1918, the day after armistice day, Lloyd George promised that there would be ‘homes fit for heroes’. What Lloyd George actually said was “Habitations for the heroes, who have won the war”, leading to a national building programme started to provide more council housing. The newspapers felt that ‘Homes for Heroes’ had a punchier ring to it.

The building of Shepherds Hill, Stoughton, Guildford.

Looking down Shepherds Hill towards Worplesdon Road with the Royal Hotel in the distance.

In 1918, the day after armistice day, Lloyd George promised that there would be ‘homes fit for heroes’. What Lloyd George actually said was “Habitations for the heroes, who have won the war”, leading to a national building programme started to provide more council housing. The newspapers felt that ‘Homes for Heroes’ had a punchier ring to it. Throughout the country, including Guildford, there was a huge number of houses unfit for human habitation so for the purpose of the new council building programme the government appointed architect Sir John Tudor Walters to prepare a report on the condition of housing. In Guildford, the lowest in the social ladder were the unskilled workers:

“The poorer classes lived in the back-street garrets, the labyrinth of buildings behind the High Street and North Street and the low-lying section of the town to the west”.

The influential 1918 Tudor Walters Report commissioned by the Government, made recommendations for the design of housing and housing estates that would be pleasant to live in. Guidance was given for the size and number of rooms. Increasing building costs and the Government facing financial constrictions meant that there had to be cutbacks on design and materials used. One of the ways of saving money was the building of cul-de-sacs; this cost less than roads being laid.

“The poorer classes lived in the back-street garrets, the labyrinth of buildings behind the High Street and North Street and the low-lying section of the town to the west”.

Guildford was at the forefront of post WW1 social housing, with Shepherds Hill being the second in the country to be completed.

The building of Shepherds Hill, Stoughton, Guildford.

Workmen working on the cul-de-sac part of Fentum Road, known locally as ‘the pan’.
The building of Shepherds Hill, Stoughton, Guildford.

The junction of Shepherds Hill and Fentum Road.

Eight acres of land at Stoughton was purchased for £1,750 from (I believe) the Trustee of Abbotts Hospital, for the provision of 85 cottages:

  • 4 cottages with four bedrooms and a parlour;
  • 50 Cottages with three bedrooms and a parlour; and
  • 31 cottages with three bedrooms without a parlour.

In January 1919, the number was reduced to 82, the average cost of building a non-parlour cottage was £600, rising to £750 for a parlour cottage. Four bedroomed parlour cottages would cost £895. One concern was that as the larger houses would be given to those workers with larger families would they in fact be able to afford the weekly rent.

The Council appointed Edward L. Lunn, who was already the acting Borough Surveyor, as Architect and Surveyor. The tender for the building work was given to a well-known Surrey builder, W.G. Tarrant, for the sum of £68,647. All did not go well though. Tarrant had never experienced any labour problems before, but in early 1919 many workers were demanding higher wages. Both Tarrant’s and Franks’ workforce (the road builders) went on strike from 11th to 30th August. Once Tarrant and Franks had agreed with the Council for an increase in the final price of the houses the workers were given an increased hourly rate of pay and went back to work.

The building of Shepherds Hill, Stoughton, Guildford.

A few of the 200 labourers working on the construction of Shepherds Hill.

The first sod was cut on Thursday 12th June 1919 by Dr. Addison, President of the Local Government Board and the master responsible for implementing the government’s housing programme. He said he wanted to come to Stoughton to ‘get in touch with those who were doing something’ as reported in the Surrey Advertiser. The paper also recorded how Dr. Addison was well aware of time wasted in negotiations for the sites and adjournments from one meeting to another.

By September 71 houses were being built and 324 applicants had applied for a tenancy.

A sub-committee was set up to work out the tenancy terms which would determine the selection of tenants.

Rents and rates were set:

  • Non-parlour, 3-bedroom cottages 12s 6d per week;
  • Parlour, 3-bedroom cottages 15s per week;
  • Parlour, 4-bedroom cottages 17s 6d per week.

The first six houses were opened by the Mayor on December Saturday 6th 1919. This was an incredible feat accomplished within six months, despite
problem with delivery of materials and labour disputes. By January 1920, the Housing Committee was told that sixteen houses would soon be occupied, and the whole estate would be finished before too many months.

In 1982 many of the houses were modernised, a small number were demolished and replaced by terraced houses and flats.

In 1982 many of the houses were modernised, a small number were demolished and replaced by terraced houses and flats. All the modernisation was completed by 1988. The houses were, according to one of the workmen on the redevelopment, very well built, a lasting tribute to W.G. Tarrant, the builder of Guildford’s first ‘homes fit for heroes’.

It is interesting to see how the houses were referred to as cottages in the early 20th Century. Today the word cottage conjures up images of a maybe a twee country dwelling. But that is how early social housing was always referred to, as cottages for the artisans (or workers). The word house would imply a much more prestigious building such as the villas built for the middle classes of which there are many examples in Guildford roads, or the larger town houses.

Sources: Mavis Swenarton – Guildford’s ‘Homes Fit for Heroes’ (Walton & Weybridge Local History Society)
Martin Stilwell MA – www.socialhousinghistory.uk

The building of Shepherds Hill, Stoughton, Guildford.

Life on Shepherds Hill as tenants occupy the new houses.

Please do feel free to contact Carol with any stories or images you have, or any thing you would like to see covered in future issues. Carol can be contacted at browne@ntlworld.com