Hill Avenue

While the name might seem to come from the obvious source, its steep hill, it does not. This was the site of Harrowby Camp during the First World War, and many roads in the area have links to the Machine Gun Corps. The road is named after the man in charge, Brigadier General Henry Cecil de la Montague Hill.

Army huts in 1915 at the top of what is now Hill Avenue seen from today’s Turnor Crescent and looking up Signal Road.The building on the far right was the Garrison Cinema.
Vaughan Hardy

On the corner of Belton Lane and Hill Avenue stood the former post office for the Machine Gun Corps. It opened in 1916 to serve troops from Belton and Harrowby army camps, who were writing home in large numbers. Facilities included a public telephone, and the post office was also open to civilians. The building was demolished in 1974.

Boys’ Central School, Hill Avenue in 1957

The Boys’ Central School opened in 1926 with 476 pupils. Its era came to an end on 5th September 1976, when the school became co-educational and changed status from secondary modern to comprehensive. It is now Little Gonerby Primary School.

House building began in 1926, some of them private, while 27 were built by Parks and Son Ltd.

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