Geography in Kent > City, Town and Village Histories
Overshore, Upchurch.Rainham
Mike Gunnill:
--- Quote from: Nemo on June 27, 2020, 09:39:53 PM ---Mike, the reason I'm confused is that the Burge works closed in 1915 as you and t'other site say. On the other hand, Messrs Eastwood's site at Overshore was in operation in, say, 1894 (c.f. BNA) and carried on well into living memory. I guess they were simply next door as you say.
I notice that there was a White House at Overshore, home of Percy Betts who died in WW1.
--- End quote ---
I did a book on the last brickfield site to be developed on the Four Gun Field site next to The Three Sisters pub. I have pix of the brickfield site on Otterham Quay, which is where the mobile home site is today. If you walk through this site, stay next to river bank you come to Woodger's Wharf. Behind the fenced area, used to be the site of Overshore Cottages. Other names, as you mentioned The White House, Falcon House, and Overshore Cottages along Coveney Lane. Interesting place but more detail has to be found and written up. People are dying and forgetting about their history.
Thx
Mike
Mike Gunnill:
--- Quote from: Smiffy on June 28, 2020, 10:02:45 PM ---Overshore cottages were once pretty isolated, perhaps built for brick field workers? Later they became integrated within the Falcon cement works.
--- End quote ---
I have seen these before Smiffy but forgotten about them. I think when the cement factory continued to expand it surrounded the cottages on Coveney Lane. Prior to the cement factory arriving, the cottages were for Wakeley brickfield workers. Most of the entries in the 1891 census confirm this. Coveney Lane was the only way in and out for transport. Workers used a footpath from Otterham Quay which joined Coveney Lane. All cement left via the cement company wharf and Wakeley's brickworks material left by their own wharf.
I walked close to the site recently, which is fenced off and was the subject of a planning application. The main wharf, is still there but remains of the cottages. In recent years, the site was used as a concrete crushing plant. The resulting material was used along the Hoo side of the river, to support the river bank.
I have a request in with the owners asking them about it's history but I am sure they will answer they don't know anything. I have old Barron clay maps from 1900 which shows where clay was removed for cement. These show the best detail and clearly show in Otterham Creek that usable clay was running out. This together with the start of WW1 would cause the surprise closure of the site. Wakeley Brothers had built barges on the site for years. It then became a repair only yard, mainly for their own fleet of barges. I think it was stopped completely about 1930.
I have a picture of Otterham Cottage residents dressed up for a Sunday outing. Several residents moved from the cottages to Otterham Quay, some Luton and a great deal moved into Upchurch village. I would still like to see a picture of the old cottages if possible.
Thanks to everyone for their feedback and help. My quest continues............
ADD: Strangely when Wakeley Brothers went out of business, everything was sold off, orchards, land the old brickfield site. They forgot about the access road, which was owned by Wakeley's. Today no one is sure who owns the access road to the existing Woodger's Wharf. It was a major problem when Peter Woodger wanted to develop the area into a marina with housing. The application failed on this point. Although the owner of the nearby caravan park/stables will quickly tell you the road is private property. It is, I guess but the owner is unknown, according to a great deal of research for the last planning application. I will continue to walk and use the lane, like workers have done since at least 1855. Today it still provides access to the Overshore caravan park, Plantation House, Admiralty Tip, Woodger's Wharf and of access to the river where Reginald Wells did his seaplane testing. ( See what I did there? The topic has returned to where we started some months ago.)
It is an interesting site. TBA
Mike
Mike Gunnill:
--- Quote from: Cosmo Smallpiece on June 28, 2020, 01:42:24 PM ---It might be useful for someone to show on a map where definitively Overshore Cottages was?
The brick fields themselves are confusing enough. Eastwood's was the one north of Halstow? Funtons was further east again.
On old maps Falcon's Cement (Burge) is marked. There is a brick fields shown east next door and another marked south. There are two other brick fields either side of the Three Sisters pub. Were these four sites all Wakeley?
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At one time there were about 20 brickfields nearby. Near was one on right alongside Otterham Quay. The one I am interested in, is next to the cement factory-which was owned by Wakeley Brothers.
Cosmo Smallpiece:
Have a look in Nemo's first post for the cement kilns. Then the 1912 plan of Falcon Cement. They are marked one row behind the wharf! Missed them before.
What a place to have lived!
Smiffy:
Overshore cottages were once pretty isolated, perhaps built for brick field workers? Later they became integrated within the Falcon cement works.
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