Filbert's Walk, St Ives

Filbert's Walk

Head away from the town centre over St Ives bridge and along London Road. Just over 100 yards beyond The Dolphin car park turn into the footpath on your right. You've reached Filbert's Walk. The route turns left after 75 yards and continues for almost 400 yards to Hemingford Road, with pleasant views over fields, ending in a wooded area. Before 1960 there was a very different aspect. Read on to learn about Filbert's Walk and access census records and images.

A gentrified image of Filbert's Walk before 1910, residents in their Sunday best.
The Green Man pub sign is visible just past the group of people.

In 1820 John Green, a St Ives builder, erected 31 'cottages' along a path called Filbert's Walk. The name comes from hazel trees lining the route. Hazelnuts were also called filberts because in medieval times the nuts were considered ripe by 20 August, St Philibert's day.

The Skeeles' manuscript describes John Green as 'having the knack of crowding the largest number of small houses on a given area'. He had already erected Green Street some time before 1820. Although new, those houses were only just above the standard of the poorest housing in the town. The majority of the 31 homes in Filbert's Walk had a cellar scullery, kitchen/living room on the ground floor and above a single bedroom and tiny landing. In such accommodation lived families of up to ten residents.

John liked the sound of his own name. The row of houses was named Hemingford Green, mentioned in the Cambridge Independent Press 21 January 1837. There was a cricket match between Hemingford Green and Hemingford Grey, reported in the Cambridge Independent Press 9 August 1845.

John Green

In the 1851 census it was renamed Green Walk, before reverting to Hemingford Green. By 1871 and thereafter it was Filbert's Walk, although the Cambridge Independent Press 11 December 1891 mentions Hemingford Green School. The Hemingford connection is from the houses coming under Hemingford Grey parish council, although residents worked and shopped in St Ives and probably considered themselves St Ivians.

One of the middle houses traded as the Green Man pub. Advertised for let in the Cambridge Independent Press 30 September 1837 (on 'Filby's Walk'), it included a bakehouse and stables. In 1881 it was renamed the Railway Tavern. The St Ives to Godmanchester railway line ran just fifty yards from number 1. It remained a public house some time into the early 1900s.

Most winters cellars filled with up to two feet of water. Sewerage was always a problem when the river was full. More than 120 residents shared three water pumps. The houses became increasingly uninhabitable. By 1939 three were unoccupied. St Ives Rural Council made a clearance order for all the houses in 1956 but there were objections. The Vendetti family was still living in Filbert's Walk in 1958. The houses were demolished in 1960.

Employees of John Harrison preparing willow in the field beside Filbert's Walk.

The field between London Road and Filbert's Walk was used by the Harrison family to prepare willow from Holt Island for basket making. Willow wands were stripped and soaked in long channels to make them supple prior to being woven into baskets. The channels are still visible.

In 1891 John Harrison was living at number 31. By 1901 John's family of ten occupied both numbers 30 and 31. John was joined by brother Charles and family by 1911, the latter living in number 1.

The census records show a gradually decreasing occupation level. In 1841 average occupation was just under six per house. By 1911 it was just under four, down to just over three by 1939. The records also reflect the coming of the railway and its effect on river trade for St Ives. In 1841 occupations involved in river trade were the highest for heads of household. By 1911 the most common was to do with the railway.

Click the following links to access census records. Below the links are more photographs.

1841 census	1851 census	1861 census
1871 census	1881 census	1891 census
1901 census	1911 census	1939 register

Filbert's Walk.

Cecil Roslin of Ashmore's Dairy with 'Prince', delivering milk to Filbert's Walk, early 1950s.

Filbert's Walk, 1950s.

Ordnance Survey map of Filbert's Walk, 1880s.

Filbert's Walk today.