Next door to Moser’s is a pair of semi-detached dwellings (7 and 9 Ashton Road) built in 1885 by Oliver Jones. These are half-timbered, built in brick with terra cotta decorations and adorned unusually with medieval-style heads.
Further along the road next to the School Sanatorium, is another pair of semi-detached dwellings (13 & 15 Ashton Road). This was commissioned by E. B. Moser for leasing and designed by Lloyd Oswell in 1884. This is made from Lilleshall bricks with pressed roof tiles from Parson Smith.
The School site, as we know it today, evolved steadily through the closing years of the 19th century and after both through the acquisition of additional land and houses (e.g. Ridgemount and Severn Hill) to the final acquisition of the Kingsland House estate in 1930 and by new buildings. Ridgemount and Severn Hill appear to have been built originally about 1800. They are now Grade II listed.
Canonbury
The earliest map showing Canonbury is the Hitchcock map of 1832, where it can be seen as a footpath to the House of Industry. In the Wood map of 1838 the path is better defined and passes two houses – Rosemount on one side and Kingsland Villa on the other. Just a little further along the path going east was the Cann Office (known later as Kingsland Bank).
Rosemount (9) belonged to a Mr Woodall in 1833, but by 1848 was recorded as a school run by Mr J Poole. The 1851 Census shows Mr Poole living there with his wife and 14 pupils. Later on a Mr Ferrington took over the school. A Shrewsbury street directory for 1886-87 referred to this “old-established and successful school” being run by Mr J Owen as an intermediate and commercial, and boarding and day school. The school was still being advertised in the Shrewsbury Chronicle in 1892.
“The Old House ” (20) was built sometime before 1875 when it first appears on Tisdale’s map and is called St. Leonard’s. There was a footpath from this house leading down to the Quarry Ferry on the Ordnance Survey map for 1882. This path continues in use by Shrewsbury School. In 1920, the house was bought for £3,000 by Shrewsbury School and was listed as St. Leonard’s in the street directory for 1928. It is an attractive brick house with white brick string decoration and gabled with very nice fretted barge boards. Some of the upper windows are Gothic-shaped with white brick decoration over the tops of the windows. The roof is of slate.
It is unclear whether Kingsland Villa was built in the 18th or 19th century, but was shown in the Wood map as owned by John Drury MD in 1838. It is on the site of the present 16-18 Canonbury). Kingsland Villa seems likely to have been the location of the Kingsland Coffee House around 1830 when occupied by a milk-seller called Richards (whose widow later kept the Travellers Rest Inn on Porthill). This place apparently also acted as a tea garden with gardens extending to the river and had recreation facilities for bowls and quoits.26
Kingsland Villa was subsequently used as a private asylum. Thus, an advertisement in Eddowes Shrewsbury Journal in 183827 noted – “Kingsland Villa, near Shrewsbury has been expressly purchased and fitted in a suitable manner for the purpose of offering to the higher classes of society, the seclusion so desirable for their rank in life, and where also they will meet with care and comfort and medical attendance suitable to their situation – The House will be visited three times a week or oftener, when necessary by Dr Drury, the ordinary medical attendant to the Asylum, but the patients may be visited by any other medical gentlemen whom their friends may wish to employ and may also be attended by their own servants if required – Mr Tipton the Superintendent of the Asylum has been employed in the treatment and management of insane persons for upwards of twenty years, and is in the possession of the most ample and satisfactory testimonials from a great number of medical gentlemen residing in the Town and neighbourhood under whom he has had patients. The female patients will be under the direction of Mrs Tipton.”
The house continued to be marked on the Tisdale map of 1875 and the OS map of 1882. This house was demolished later as the OS map for 1902 showed a pair of semi-detached villas on the corresponding site (presently 16-18 Canonbury). The pair of semi-detached houses next door (12 – 14 Canonbury) was known as Aucuba House and built in the 1840’s. Canonbury House (10) built in 1860 is next door.
Further along Canonbury over the footbridge is Holly House (8). Kelly’s directory for 1870 showed Mr Rupert Davies was living there. Later this was used as a boarding house for the nearby Girls High School. Thus, the Shrewsbury Chronicle for 1 Dec 189928 carried the advertisement “Shrewsbury High School for Girls. Miss Wellbourne, Holly House, Kingsland receives boarders for the Shrewsbury High School for Girls. New buildings. Thorough modern education. Terms moderate. Under the inspection of the medical officer of the School and recommended by Miss Gavin Headmistress of Murivance.”
At the end of Canonbury is the side entrance of Kingsland Bank (6). This house may have been built on or near the site of an earlier dwelling, as Rocque’s map for 1752 records a Cann Office. The present building was designed by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard in 1759 to a commission by the Drapers Company (and altered in the 1860s). Several acres of land went with the house which was originally known as the Cann Office (more details of which are given earlier). The Census for 1851, showed the Burr family are living in Kingsland Bank which adjoins their Lead works, and Miss Jane Burr was still living there in the 1891 Census. The house is now Grade II listed.
The Beehive at the end of Canonbury facing Kingsland Road, was probably built at the end of the 18th century when it was a smaller house. It has had several changes of name. The Tithe map of 1843 showed The Beehive was owned by Mary Davenport and leased to James Jacobs (also Governor of the House of Industry in 1841 until dismissed in 1844). The 1851 Census showed the house as an Inn with Joseph Badger as the Landlord, and by 1855 The Beehive was described as the Severn House Inn and being run by George Darlington. R. Roberts was listed as Landlord throughout the 1880’s when The Beehive was known as the Kingsland Inn. In the 1891 Census, Mrs Sarah J. Tittensor is recorded as the licensed victualler. Other details of this property are available.29
The Beehive/Kingsland Inn was closed as a public house around 1895. This was due mainly to pressure from the Shrewsbury School Governors who did not approve of the boys using the premises. The street directory shows Mrs Tittensor still there in 1899. After its closure the building became a sub-post office and was run initially by John Williams.
In the 20th century, four other houses were built in Canonbury – one of which Rosemount Cottage (1920s) is continuous with the back of The Beehive and contains an older section which is part of the main structure of The Beehive, so presumably dates from around 1795. This older section may be that which was advertised as Kingsland Cottage in 1830.
Kingsland, Shrewsbury 
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