Roads U - Z - Rugby Local History Research Group

Road Name	Area	Date	Grid Ref.	Person/ Place	Reason	Notes
Ulverston	Brownsover, off Buttermere	1980	SP 519771	Ulverston town, Cumbria	Ulverston is a market town on the Furness peninsula. It became a market town in 1280 when it was granted a Royal Charter by Edward I. It is also a civil parish that covers a quite extensive area around the town.	Ulverston road was so named because the town of Ulverston is close to the Lake District National Park. Ulverston is the birthplace of Stan Laurel and now has a museum dedicated to him and his film partner, Oliver Hardy. At the 2011 Census the civil parish had a population of 11,678, most of whom were in the east of the parish.
Union Street	Rugby Town Centre, within the gyratory system, off Russelsheim Way	It is shown in a map of 1849	SP 501749	The origin of this street name is not known.	Before the gyratory system development, Union Street extended from Warwick Street to just beyond East Union Street	It was built on part of Rugby Field where stood The Butts, an area outside the then town where young men were obliged by statute to practise their archery skills.
Upton Road	New Bilton, off Somers Road	1973	SP 489753	Upton Farm	The Somers Road Industrial Estate was built on the former Upton Farm.	Being part pf an industrial estate, Upton Road contains no residential properties. Upton Farm was the successor to Newland Farm (see also Campbell Street.
Vere Road	Hillmorton, off Lower Hillmorton Road.	1955	SP 526744	James Vere	James Vere was Lord of the Manor of Hillmorton from 1771 to 1778, having bought the estate from Sir Edward Astley for £10,120.	Vere Road is one of the roads in Hillmorton that have been named after former Lords of the Manor of Hillmorton. Vere road was one of the roads on the Abbotts Farm estate.
Vicarage Road	Rugby, off Lawford Road	c 1893	SP 499751	St Matthew’s vicarage.	The road was built on part of the St Matthew’s glebe land behind the original vicarage in Bilton Road.	The land was sold by the church to Rugby Freehold Land Society for 18 building plots.
Victoria Street	New Bilton, off Lawford Road		SP 494752	Alexandrina Victoria (1819-1901)	She became Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837-1901)	This street was laid out by the Harris family,
Victoria Street	Rugby					See Queen Victoria Street
Violet Close	Brownsover, off Celandine	1990	SP 520775	Common Violet, Viola odorata	A flowering plant of the family Violaceae, the violet is distinguished by the colour of its flowers.	Violet Close is one of a group of roads in Brownsover that adjoin the north of Newton Manor Lane, centered around Campion Way, and are named after wild plants tht can be seen in the British Isles.
Voyage Road	Rugby, off Barnaby Road	2014	SP 503765	“The Long Voyage“	The Long Voyage is a New Year’s Eve short story written by Charles Dickens in 1853.	The streets in this area were given names associated with the works of Charles Dickens.
Walmsley Road	Houlton, off Maine Street	2018	SP 555738	Dr Thomas Walmsley CBE, PhD, BSc, M.Inst.C.E., AMIEE, MIRE.(1886-1962)	Dr Walmsley joined the Metropolitan Power Section of the Post Office in 1908. He was staff-engineer in charge of the GPO Wireless Broadcasting Branch from 1937 to 1940, when he was seconded to the Ministry of Aircraft Production.	The residential development of the former Rugby Radio Station has been given the name of Houlton and its streets named after people, events and equipment that were associated with it and the further development of radio. Dr Walmsley was appointed Resident Engineer during the erection of Rugby Radio Station and helped design its Short Wave Beam aerials.
Walnut Way	Bilton, off Mulberry Road	1990	SP 479744	Walnut, Juglans regia	Walnut is a deciduous broadleaf tree which can grow to 35 m. Walnut is native from south-east Europe to south-east China. It’s been widely planted throughout the UK for its edible nuts and has naturised in lowland Britain. During the ripening process, the husk becomes a brittle, hard shell containing the brown wrinkled walnut.	Walnut Way is one of a group of roads in Bilton, off Bilton Lane, that have been named after trees that can be seen in the UK.
Warren Road	Hillmorton Paddox Estate, off Percival Road	1925	SP 516742	Robert Edward Warren Hawksley (1874 – 1947)	The road was named by the Rugby Freehold Land Society after Warren Hawksley, an architect and surveyor employed by the Society. He was also secretary of the Rugby Town Hall Company (1910 – 1920)	Warren Hawksley was one of the vendors of the land when the former Brown’s Farm, near the Paddox, was developed by the Rugby Freehold Land Society.
Warwick Street	Rugby Town centre, off Lawrence Sheriff Street	see Reason column	SP 500750	see Reason column	This street was the start of the ancient road that led from Rugby to the county town of Warwick. Prior to the nineteenth century it was known simply as “The King’s Highway”.	In the mid Victorian period, Warwick Street included the Rugby end of Bilton Road from its junction with Lawford Road to, but not including, Oakfield House. Warwick is of Old English origin, probably meaning ‘dwellings by the weir or river-dam’.
Watergate Street	Rugby					See Barby Road
Webb Drive	Brownsover, off Newton Manor Lane	1991	SP 517774	Peter Ernest Webb (1929-1987)	Mr Webb was the head-master of Boughton Leigh Middle School from when it first opened in 1973 until his death in 1987.	Peter Webb was born in Long Lawford. He was educated at Lawrence Sheriff School. Prior to being headmaster at Boughton Leigh Middle School, he had been Deputy Head at Rokeby Junior and Infant School.
Webb Ellis Road	Rugby, off Bilton Road	1950	SP 495748	William Webb Ellis BA, MA (1807 – 72) See also ‘Biographies’ section of this website.	Attended Rugby School (1816 – 25) where, according to Matthew Bloxam, he was originator in 1823 of carrying the ball, the distinctive feature of the Rugby Football game.	Rugby Football Club’s premises are in Webb Ellis Road.
Wells Street	Rugby, off Bath Street	1895	SP 507755	Wells Cathedral, Somerset.	Thomas William Jex-Blake BA, BD & DD (1832 – 1915), headmaster of Rugby School (1874 – 87), became Dean of Wells Cathedral in 1891.	Dr Jex-Blake was an Old Rugbeian, who had also been an assistant master at Rugby (1858 – 68) and Principal of Cheltenham College (1868 – 74).
Welton Place	Hillmorton, off Percival Road	1937	SP 516736	Welton, Northamptonshire	Welton is a village 9 miles south east of Rugby.	Welton is of Saxon origin and is mentioned in the Domesday Book with the various names of Waletone, Weletone and Welintone, probably meaning ‘farmstead by a spring or stream’. The population in 2011 was 608.
Wentworth Road	Bilton, Overslade Estate, off Dunchurch Road	1938	SP 500741	Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Water, Surrey	The road developers named it after one of their favourite golf courses.	Wentworth Golf Club includes one of Britain’s leading golf courses. It was founded in 1926.
Westfield Road	Rugby off Bilton Road	1945	SP 497748	Westfield House	The road was built on the 31½ acre estate attached to the large house in Bilton Road.	Among the former owners of the house was Richard Pennington (1799 – 1885), a retired cotton manufacturer and merchant.
West Street	Rugby					See Corporation Street
West View Road	New Bilton, off Pendred Road	1921	SP 480749	Mrs Agatha Mary West (1884 – 1970) MBE	She was one of the first women members of the Warwickshire County Council and of the Rugby RDC. The road could not be named “West Road” because this may have caused confusion with the then existing West Street in Rugby. Note that West Street was later demolished when Corporation Street was built and no longer exists.	Her husband, Lt Col Francis Charles B West of Bawnmore, Bilton, lost his life in France in 1916. Her father was William Dewar, a master at Rugby School (see Dewar Grove). Mrs West married Randall Garfield Hosking CBE (1882-1951) in 1924.
Wetherell Way	Brownsover, off Hollowell Way	1974	SP 515773	Wilfrid Pattison (Pat) Wetherell (1912-78)	W P Wetherall was an Alderman on Rugby Borough Council (1958-70). He was also chairman of the housing committee when the Council purchased the 214 acre Brownsover Estate from the Boughton-Leigh family.	Wetherall Way is one of a small group of roads In Brownsover that were named after former head teachers in the Borough. In addition to his work as a councillor, Mr Wetherell was also a teacher at Elborow Junior School (1948-1959), having been acting headmaster from 1957 until the school was closed. He then became head of Binley Woods First School.
Whernside	Brownsover, off Hollowell Way	1978	SP 514773	Whernside, North Yorkshire	Whernside is a mountain in the Yorkshire dales on the border with Cumbria. It is about 6 miles north of Ingleton and about 8 miles north west of Horton-in-Ribblesdale. It is the highest point in North Yorkshire at 2,415 feet (736 m).	Whernside is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is climbed as part of the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, the other peaks being Ingleborough, 2,372 feet or 723 m, and Pen-y-ghent, 2,277 feet or 694 m. Whernside also lies about 2 miles northwest of the spectacular Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle to Carlisle railway.
Whimbrel Close	Brownsover, off Coton Park Drive	2002	SP 513779	Whimbrel, Numenius phaecopus	The whimbrel is a medium- to-large sized member of the family of Sandpiper waders. Small numbers are summer visitors to the northern Scottish islands.	The roads off Coton Park Drive, Brownsover, have been named after British birds.
Whitefriars Drive	Cawston, off Calvestone Road	2004	SP 477741	The Carmelite Friary, Coventry	The church of the Carmelite Friars in Coventry is known as the Whitefriars Church. Following its dissolution in 1538, the church was partially demolished and some of the materials were used by Edward Boughton (d. 1589) in the building of Cawston Hall in 1585.	The Carmelites are a mendicant religious order. They were known as the Whitefriars because of their white cloak in comparison with the grey cloak worn by the Franciscans.
Whitehall Road	Rugby, off Clifton Road	1879	SP 508751	Named after Whitehall, an old house that was formerly at the present junction of Clifton Road and Whitehall Road.	Whitehall was probably a 15th century open hall house that by the mid 19th century had become three tenements or cottages	The old building was purchased in 1879 by the Local Board of Health for road widening. Before the widening, Whitehall Road was known as Bridle Lane.
Whittle Close	Bilton, off Bawnmore Road	1964	SP 489731	Sir Frank Whittle OM, KBE, CB, FRS, FRAeS (1907 – 96)	Inventor of the turbojet engine	His first demonstration turbojet engine was manufactured and tested at the BTH factory, Rugby in 1937.
Wigston Road	Hillmorton, off Coton Road	1962	SP 532739	Robert Wigston	Robert Wigston was the vicar of St John the Baptist from 1565 to 1606.	Wigston Road is one of a small group of roads in Hillmorton that were named after former vicars of St John the Baptist.
Wilf Brown Close	Brownsover, off Brownsover Lane	2015	SP 511777	Wilfred Frank Brown (1941 – 2004)	Leading Ambulanceman and Technician (1966 – 2001).	Wilf Brown Close was built on the site of the former ambulance station in Brownsover where Wilf Brown was based for the latter part of his career.
William Street	Rugby, off Railway Terrace	1841	SP 506752	Count William Ferdinand Wratislaw (1788 – 1853)	The street was built on land owned by Count Wratislaw, a solicitor & attorney who resided and practised in Church Street, Rugby.	When this street was first laid out it was about a quarter of its present length and was a cul-de-sac.
William Simmonds Close	Cawston, off Richard Walker Way	2018	SP 472731	William Thomas Simmonds (1866-1947)	Mr Simmonds was an inspirational Headmaster of Elborow Boy’s School (1900-26), who brought innovation and a new approach to teaching at the school. He encouraged sport, drama and music, and ‘self-government’ within the student body being one of the first Elementary Schools to appoint Prefects.	The names of the roads adjoining Elborow Way, Cawston, are all associated with the Elborow Charity School. the ‘second oldest school in Rugby’.
Willoughby Place	Hillmorton, off Balcombe Road	1938	SP 518735	Willoughby village	Willoughby is a Warwickshire village about 5 miles to the south of Rugby.	Willoughby is of Saxon origin and is variously mentioned in the Domesday Book as Wilebere, Wilibene, Wilibei,and Wilebec. Its origin is a combination of Old English, Wilig, and Old Scandinavian (i.e. Viking), by, meaning ‘farmstead by the willow-trees’. In 2011 it had a population of 398.
Wilson Close	Bilton, Admirals Estate, off Cornwallis Road	1990s	SP 482749	Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson, GCB (1842 – 1921)	Admiral of the Fleet, RN (1907 – 11).	1st Sea Lord (1910 – 11)
Wimbourne Road	Houlton, off Station Avenue	2023	SP 550735	Wimborne Minster, the parish church of St Cuthberga, (sister of Ine, King of Wessex and wife of Aldfrith, King Northumbria), Wimborne, Dorset.	Wimborne Minsteris a Saxon church with Norman and Gothic additions. It contains the tomb of King Aethelred, the elder brother of King Alfred.	Wimbourne Road is one of a group of roads in the south of Houlton that were named after monasteries or minsters of the English church that were founded mainly during the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons in the seventh and eighth centuries. As it has been named after the town of Wimborne Minster, Wimbourne Road should have been spelt as ‘Wimborne Road’.
Windermere Close	Brownsover, off Stonehills	1973	SP 513772	Lake Windermere, Cumbria	Windermere is the largest natural lake in England. The town that developed around the railway station that was opened in 1847 became known as Windermere.	Windermere Close is one of the roads in Brownsover that was named after a place or feature in the Lake District National Park. The civil parish of Windermere had a population of 8,359 in the 2011 Census.
Windmill Close	Hillmorton, off Crick Road	2012	SP 538736	Hillmorton Windmill	Windmill Close was built on or near the site of a windmill at Hillmorton that was demolished in 1899.	This windmill had been erected by 1787 and became disused about 1890. It replaced an older windmill that had been erected by 1584. The later mill was a brick-built tower mill.
Windmill Lane	Rugby, off North Street	1809	SP 503752	The Windmill House	This lane was given this name because of the adjoining late, 18th century, Windmill House. The house was so-named because its tall, narrow shape, resemblled the structure of a windmill. Windmill House became an inn, the Windmill Inn, in 1809. From the 15th century until about 1851 the lane was known as Dogge or Dog Lane.	This road was demolished when the Clock Towers Shopping Centre development took place.
Winfield Street	Rugby, off Clifton Road	1897	SP 514753	Rev Henry Whinfield BA, DD (1726 – 93)	He was the largest landowner to benefit from the enclosure of the Parish of Rugby in 1774. Winfield Street was built on land that he owned jointly with a “Mr Round”.	Although he was born in Dunchurch, he never lived in Rugby and its surrounds following his matriculation at Peterhouse, Cambridge University, in 1746. The street name has always been spelt without the letter “h”.
Wise Grove	Hillmorton, Abbotts Farm Estate, off McKinnell Crescent	1956	SP 525748	Thomas Arnold Wise MA (1861 – 1940)	He was the charter mayor in 1932. He was also a chairman of Rugby UDC (1903 – 5 & 1923 – 24).	He was also a headmaster of a boys’ preparatory school at Oakfield in Bilton Road.
Wolsey Road	Bilton, Woodlands, Estate, off Cymbeline Way	1967	SP 488728	Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal (1473-1530)	Wolsey was a churchman and statesman who became a cardinal. Cardinal Wolsey is a prominent character in Henry VIII, the historical play written about 1613 by William Shakespeare, (1564-1616), ,	When the Woodlands Estate was laid out in 1964 the Council selected road names “having regard to the quarter centenary of Shakespeare’s birth” in 1564.
Woodsia Close	Brownsover, off Mallow Way	1997	SP 515777	Woodsia, Woodsia livensis	Woodsia is a fern typically found on sunny exposed cliffs and rocky slopes. It is confined to a small number of localised areas of the northern half of the British Isles	Woodsia Close is one of group of roads in an area adjoining the north of Newton Manor Lane, centered around Campion Way, that are named after wild plants and flowers that can be seen in the British Isles. As the woodsia fern is on the edge of its natural range in the UK, it is cosidered to be endangered, and has been given UK legal protection.
Wood Street	Rugby, off Newbold Road	See notes	SP 501760	Frederick Wood (c1807 – 93)	He was a surveyor and land agent who lived and worked in Rugby from about 1840 until 1881. His employment included being assistant chief engineer and Chief Engineer of the Oxford Canal Co (1824 – 53) and as a land agent for the L&NW Railway (1853 – 81). Whilst in Rugby he was also an Inspector and a director of the Rugby Gas & Coke Co. In 1868 he became a founder member of the Institution of Surveyors (now the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).	This street was built in two phases. The eastern end was constructed 1872 and was extended in 1890 to provide direct access to Newbold Road from the station.
Wooll Street	Rugby, off Sheep Street	This short passage is of ancient origin, but was not named until 1956.	SP 502751	Dr John Wooll, DD (1767 – 1833)	Headmaster, Rugby School (1807 – 28). During his time as headmaster, the school was entirely rebuilt and its fortunes changed considerably. By 1818 pupil numbers had increased to over 380, making Rugby second only in size to Eton. Pupil numbers then declined progressively to only 123 in 1828.	Why this short passage, with no residences or shops, was named as a street has not been explained. This short passage is of ancient origin, but was not named until 1956.
Wordsworth Road	Rugby, off Shakespeare Gardens	1959	SP 496733	William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850)	He was one of the major English ‘romantic’ poets and was one of the main figures of a group of poets who lived in the Lake District at the turn of the nineteenth century who were called the Lake Poets. He became the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom in 1843 following the death of Robert Southey. He has a memorial in Poets Corner, Westminster Abbey.	Among his major works are Wandered Lonely as a Cloud and The Prelude. In Grasmere, Cumbria, the Wordsworth Trust maintains Dove Cottage, where he wrote some of his greatest poetry, and the adjoining Wordsworth Museum.
Wortley Close	Cawston, off Gerard Road	2004	SP 474739	Sir Richard Wortley (c1565-1603), Kt, of Wortley Hall, Yorkshire.	Sir Richard was married in 1578 to Elizabeth (1568-1642), daughter of Edward Boughton of Cawston (d. 1589). (see also Devonshire Close)	This Edward Boughton who died in 1589, built the original Cawston Hall in 1585. The building of the hall is believed to have impoverished Boughton and he had to borrow money from Richard Wortley.
Wroughton Drive	Houlton, off Maine Street	2018	SP 555739	Wroughton, near Swindon, Wiltshire.	The first public trans-Atlantic radio telephony service in 1927 was made via Wroughton Receiving Station.	The residential development of the former Rugby Radio Station has been given the name of Houlton and its streets named after people, events and equipment that were associated with it and the further development of radio.
Wynter Road	Rugby, off Somers Road	1973	SP 487751	Thomas Wynter	William Wynter was Rector of Rugby sometime between 1507 to 1527.	Being part of an industrial estate, Wynter Road contains no residential properties
Wythburn Way	Brownsover, off Scafell	1982	SP 518774	Wythburn Village, Cumbria	Most of Wythburn Village was submerged when Thirlmere Reservoir was completed in 1894 leaving a few cottages and a church. The village was about 10km to the south of Keswick and about 3km from the summit of Hellvellyn.	Wythburn Way is one of the roads in Brownsover that was named after a place or feature in the Lake District. Wythburn village is now part of St John’s, Castlerigg and Wythburn civil parish which had a population of 422 in the 2011 Census.
Yarrow Close	Brownsover, off Harebell Way	1990	SP 519777	Yarrow, Achillea millefolium	Yarrow is a flowering plant which is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe and North America.	Yarrow Close is one of a group of roads in Brownsover that adjoin the north of Newton Manor Lane, centered around Campion Way, and are named after wild plants that can be seen in the British Isles.
Yates Avenue	Newbold-on-Avon, off Leicester Road	1950	SP 501754	Henry (known as Harry) Yates (1879 – 1929)	In 1913 he became the first Labour member of the Rugby UDC and was its elected chairman from 1924 to 1926. Mrs Edith Yates, his widow, on July 4th 1929 became the first woman to be elected as a councillor of the Rugby UDC.	He died whilst contesting the 1929 General Election as the local Labour candidate. In the 1911 census his occupation was described as a tripe dresser but had become a tobacconist by 1929.