In the 18th century the junction between these lanes was occupied by a house which fronted onto the High Street. Mill Lane, as its name implies, was originally an old hedged pathway belonging to the Upper Mill which led down to the river. Similarly, Twerton Farm Close was the old entrance to Twerton (Lower) Farm. Its alternative name, ‘King Edward’s Cottages’ (presumably introduced after the coronation of King Edward VII in 1903) refers to a rank of buildings erected on the north side of the lane in 1831-2 to serve as the parish Poor House. All these buildings, which stood on land belonging to the mill, are listed in 1840 as the ‘Chapel Houses… [referring to the Baptist Chapel which stood built behind them, built in 1808] … in the hands of the parish officers’. In about 1870 the house on the junction was replaced further back by the present no.1 Mill Lane, known initially as Mill Lane House, which served as the High Street Post Office from 1892 to 1920. King Edwards Cottages were demolished in the 1960s, but no.1 Mill Lane remains unaltered except for the blocked aperture for the post-box (still visible in the wall on the right-hand side of the bay window), and the iron railings at the front which were removed during WWII, but later replaced.

The entrance to Mill Lane in the early 1900s, showing the old Post Office, the Baptist Chapel and, extreme left, King Edward’s Cottages. Note the canopy and garden fence posts in front of the shop on the opposite corner. The pitched crossing across the top of Mill Lane is clearly visible.

A closer view of King Edward’s Cottages and the entrance to Twerton Farm.

A view of Mill Lane in the 1930s. The pitched crossing is still visible at the bottom of the photograph. At that time there was still only one footwalk in the Lane, on the west side.

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