THIS week’s photograph shows the progress of work on the Bishopdown Estate, Salisbury in 1957.

In the foreground are completed houses just off Bishopdown Road; and in the background are private houses and council houses nearing completion. The houses in the right background face Barrington Road. The road which can be seen on the right of the picture is Denison Rise, whilst the road on the left, curving over the hill, is Bingham Road.

The total number of houses planned for the new site in 1957 was 594 but not all of them were to be council houses, as a proportion of the 63-acre site was allocated for private enterprise building. Before the building work started, lush green meadows ran through the centre of the estate with a footpath often used by people walking from the city via London Road to Ford. But to retain the beauty of the landscape, it was decided to plant trees at various points around the new estate and over three acres was set aside for a sports field and recreation grounds.

It is interesting to chart the Bishopdown estate in 1957 and how it compared in size with other post-war housing estates around the city. At Bemerton Heath 825 had been completed and at West Harnham 250.

But for the 1,300 people on the city housing department’s waiting list in 1957, the date of completion of the 594 houses was unknown, which must have been very frustrating indeed!

n If you lived in Bishopdown on or after 1957 you might like to attend an event being held at the Barrington Centre, Barrington Road on Tuesday, September 11, from 2.30pm until 4.30pm. Tea and cake will be available and the organisers are encouraging people to share their photos and memories. Please contact 07874 262890 for details.