The Goddard Trail - London Rd/Regent Rd/University Rd

Shops on London Rd

Shop on London Rd Doorway on London Rd

 
Heading south on the London Rd, at 108-20 we find two neighbouring sets of shops built in different styles in 1906. Behind the shops in the first photo is Victoria Avenue, which is accessed by entries at either end of the shops. This block once had all the shop names displayed in the same lettering in an attempt by Henry Peach, the founder of the Dryad company, to introduce style and taste to the people of Leicester. A photo of this can be found in Helen Boynton's 'The Changing Face of London Rd'. The final photo is a close up of one of the front doors in the second photo.
 

 
Parallel to the London Rd is Regent Rd. These photos are of 'Tintern House', 112 Regent Rd (1871), now a St John's Ambulance building; 128 Regent Rd (1873); and 134-8 Regent Rd (1880-81) - with extra views of its chimneys and a nearby wall. Note that the chronology of the buildings matches their creep away from the city. Joseph Goddard had a house nearby (pictured below) and, along with many of his wealthier clients, was moving out of the city into the suburbs. Numbers 134-8 show him working towards the style that would result in his house on Ratcliffe Rd. Houses built on and in between Regent Rd and London Rd were often 'show' houses and displayed trademark Goddard features such as the tall, corbelled chimney stacks.
 
 

Lansdowne House Chimney on Lansdowne House

University Rd and Princess Road East. The first two photos are of Lansdowne House, 1872, and one of its chimneys - Joseph Goddard beginning to move away from Gothic towards a Domestic Revival style, sometimes mixing and matching. He built a house for himself in 1875-6 and named it 'Beausite', which is the third photo, and he also designed the part of Princess Rd East pictured in the last photo. Note the chimneys, tiles on the roof, porches with decorative woodwork. As one progresses up the hill to Victoria Park the houses become larger, gables overhang, and half-timbering breaks out everywhere.
 
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