Until 1862 a row of nine Tudor style houses stood to the left of the Market House in the space now occupied by the wide road in front of Costa Coffee, WHSmith etc. They were demolished as part of the works carried out under the second Ross Improvement Act (1863) to improve access through the town. Now you can see these properties again, as they stood in 1851.
Background to Underhill
These four supporting films, created by children from Ross primary schools, tell the story of Underhill from the point-of-view of some of the people who lived there in 1851. The folks really did exist (we know that from the 1851 census, most of the content is made up but based on historically accurate information about the town.
The Boot Maker’s Tale
The Landlord’s Tale
The Maltster’s Tale
The Nailer’s Tale
The making of Underhill
The artwork for this exhibit has been created by Jaime Etherington
The Market House & Fire Engine
We’ve based our museum exhibit of the Market House in the early years of the 19th Century when it was used to store the town’s fire engine, with a bell to call the firemen when they were needed. There was a long ladder under the Market House, apparently owned by a local builder, that was available for use by the fire brigade when the builder did not need it! There was also a hand drawn ladder which can be seen in many of the old postcard views of the Market House.
In 1809 a subscription fund was started for the purchase of a new fire engine for the town. The resulting purchase included a bucket, leather pipes two pumps and a 21 foot ladder. By 1827 there were “plugs in the streets, in case of fire.”
Following a disastrous fire in 1852 The Ross Fire Brigade was formed and by 1867 there was a “Fire Engine House” in Kyrle Street and the “Fire Escape in Brewery Yard in Henry Street.” A new steam fire engine was purchased in 1899. The engine was named “John Kyrle” and was pulled by two horses. In 1906 the “fire station” moved to the building close to the church that now serves as the Phoenix Theatre. In 1969 it moved once more to its present site in Woodside.
Ross fire station and crew on St Mary’s Street, 1910