DESCRIBED as “a fashionable, but very private road that was developed during the late Victorian and Edwardian period”, Maldon’s Lodge Road actually has its roots during the Napoleonic scare.

The Little General’s planned invasion of 1803-1805 resulted in the establishment of an army barracks at Maldon.

Centering on ‘The Lodge’, that building later became a private house (and is now a care home) and the road that led (and still leads) to it became known as Lodge Road.

There are no records of any properties in the road in 1891, but plots were put up for sale from 1893.

Houses started to be built along its length from around 1895, numbers 6 and 8, at least, dating from that initial period but initially known as ‘Lodge Villas’, London Road.

Early-Edwardian postcard views show an exclusive, private thoroughfare, with houses to the right (numbered 2 to 16 by 1904), a red-brick wall to the left (of which more later) and double gates (that had been installed as early as 1888).

It became a select community of middle class residents, who either lived by private means or were managerial/professional types – both working and retired.

Most had at least one servant, some had two.

The properties afforded spectacular views towards Beeleigh and the heights of Wickham Bishops, but that dominant position did have one drawback – a water supply that struggled to get uphill (hence larger than usual storage tanks in the lofts).

The great thing about Lodge Road is that we can still walk its historic length, admire the original architecture and think about the first residents of that “new” estate.

On the corner, ‘Berners House’ at number 2, was built in 1905 and was the home of Charles Murrell Handley, a master butcher and a well-known Christadelphian (a non-conformist religious group). He occupied the place with his wife, daughter, mother-in-law, brother-in-law and one servant.

By 1911 number 2 had become a preparatory school, run by Miss Marion Bradley. Five members of her family were with her, along with a French governess, two other borders and two servants.

Next door, at number 4, was the grocer Samuel Hawley and his family, who later sold out to Miss Olifent and then, in turn, wealthy Stiles D Baldwin, who made it his home with wife, three children and a servant.

At number 6 was Mary Susannah Saunders. Mary ran another school and in 1901 was with her sister, two pupils and a servant.

By 1911, Miss Margaret Fortescue was at 6, as was her sister and a servant.

‘Applegarth’ was the name given to number 8. The Miller family were there in 1911 – Henry, Francis, their two daughters and two servants. (Later, in 1922, both 6 and 8 would become a boys’ school under Sydney Issacs).

Number 10, on a double plot and dating from 1904, is a house I know well.

My school friend, David Speight, lived there in the 1970s and his dad was Maldon’s Congregational Minister.

It had officially become ‘The Manse’ in 1933 when Mrs Freeman sold it to the Essex Independent Congregational Union. However, one of Rev. Speight’s predecessors, Rev Thomas Alexander, was there with his family in 1908.

Since 1995 it has been owned by other friends of ours and we enjoy our return visits to the old place.

The Gowers were at number 12. Head of household Charles Robert Gowers was manager at Bentall’s, Elizabeth was his wife and they lived there with Charles’ nephew.

By 1911 they had gone and in their stead came widow Emma Clear, along with her son and two daughters.

Number 14 will forever be home of the Leech sisters, who left the town the Memorial Garden opposite.

Before their time (and their father, Henry G Leech), it was home to Miss Youl and servant (1911) and earlier still retired bank manager Richard Sharpe and his housekeeper and housemaid (1901).

Finally, in terms of the original buildings, well-known local architect, civil engineer and surveyor Percy Beaumont, wife Agnes and two servants were at ‘Danescroft’ (number 16), built in 1902.

So we have traversed the length of the road and, in so doing, have followed (on our left) the line of that previously mentioned red-brick wall.

The wall once separated Lodge Road from Dykes Chase. As that 1894 guide put it, this was originally just a “pathway leading northwards to Constitutional Hill” (the name of the sloping footpath to Beeleigh).

A map of 1920 shows no houses on the Dykes Chase side. Things are different today, but Lodge Road at least hasn’t really changed since those halcyon Edwardian days.

It is somehow timeless and positively echoes with the voices of the more well-to-do locals of the age.

The people who live there now, the latest custodians, are truly fortunate to live in such a special place.